Chocolate & Coffee Tart

Before starting this Chocolate & Coffee Tart recipe, organise the necessary ingredients for the hazelnut rich shortcrust pastry.

Place in the stand mixer and work to obtain an intimate mixing of the ingredients for the base not to emulsify, which would make the base more difficult to work later in the recipe.

When the butter, ground hazelnuts and icing sugar are combined, stop the stand mixer. Add the egg yolks.

Resume mixing on low speed, without working the preparation too much.

Stop the mixer and remove the pastry from the flat beater.

Mix the flour and baking powder, then sift together...

... over the preparation. It is essential to sift the flour and baking powder together.

Resume mixing on low speed to avoid flour spatter.

Stop the food mixer when combined.

... and transfer the pastry onto a baking sheet lined with cling film.

Cover with cling film...

... and flatten evenly. Refrigerate to obtain a firm consistency which will be easier to work with a rolling pin.
I recommend making this hazelnut shortcrust pastry the day before.

For the coffee mascarpone chantilly cream: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Soak the gelatine sheets in a bowl filled with cold water.

In a saucepan, place 50 grams of whipping cream, castor sugar and seeds from the vanilla pod (scraped with the tip of a knife beforehand).

Combine with a whisk and bring to a boil.

When the gelatine sheets are soft, take them out and strain.

When the cream starts boiling...

... add the soft gelatine sheets.

Gently whisk until the gelatine is completely dissolved. Set aside.

Combine the mascarpone with 250 grams of whipping cream.

Combine well with a whisk.

Add the cream and gelatine preparation.

Add the Trablit coffee extract. The quantity will vary according to your taste. Add the equivalent of one tablespoon first. Then add more if necessary.

Gently combine with a whisk.

Place cling film on the surface of the cream and leave to set overnight in the fridge.

For the pastry case: Place your dough ball on a floured surface.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3 or 4 mm until you get a disc that is big enough to line a tart ring with diameter 2 cm and height 2 cm.

Line the tart ring with the pastry.

Remove the pastry excess with a knife, sliding it around the ring.

Bake at 160°C (gas 3) for 20 to 25 minutes...

... until the puff pastry is cooked and golden. This pastry won't rise during baking.

When cooked, remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature.

For the syrup: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Pour the water in a saucepan...

... add the castor sugar...

... and bring to a boil until the sugar is melted. The syrup is now ready.

Add the coffee and leave to cool.

For the coffee and chocolate ganache: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Pour the whipping cream in a saucepan and place over medium heat.

When the cream starts boiling...

... pour it over the coffee and chocolate chocolate chunks.

Wait for a little while before stirring to let the chocolate melt..

... then combine with the whisk until homogeneous.

Fill the pastry case with half of the ganache.

Using a cranked metallic spatula, spread the chocolate ganache to an even thickness.

Dip the sponge fingers into the coffee syrup.

Strain and bury the finger biscuits into the ganache.

They should cover the whole surface of the tart.

Cover the biscuits with the rest of the chocolate ganache.

Even the surface with the cranked metallic spatula.

The surface might not be very regular but that is not a problem since there will be a layer of cream on top. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Remove the chantilly from the fridge and remove the cling film.

Transfer the preparation in the stand mixer bowl...

... and whip into a chantilly. For an easier operation, store the stand mixer bowl in the freezer beforehand.

The cream will start thickening after a few minutes...

... and the colour will gradually become paler.

Remove the tart ring.

Transfer the chantilly into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle (Ø 12 mm).

Pipe the cream around the outer edge of the tart into regular drops.

Continue with a second row, working your way towards the centre...

... until the whole surface is coated with cream. The drops should have a regular shape and size.

Arrange a few chocolate-coated coffee beans on the tip of a few chantilly cream drops.

Reserve in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!