Kitchen Craft Episode 17: Chocolate 101
If you’ve always been a bit hesitant to cook with chocolate, now’s your chance – because Chef Clem knows just what to do with this food of the gods. Including making a fabulous chocolate ganache tart...
Ingredients:
For the base:
- 350 g Woolies Oat Crunchies
- 80 g butter, melted
For the ganache:
- 2 cups cream
- 175 g good quality 70% dark chocolate
- 175 g good quality milk chocolate
- 3 T butter
For the chocolate buttons:
- 100 g 85% dark chocolate
- About ¼ cup luxury tree nuts, roughly chopped
- A sprinkling of flaky salt
Method:
For the base:
Crush the biscuits until fine or pulse in a food processor until fine, then pour in the melted butter and mix through to combine until the biscuits are well coated in the butter. Pour the biscuit crumbs into a spring form baking tin and press down using any weighted item with a flat bottom. Create a solid base for the tart before pressing the crumbs along the side to create a lip to hold the chocolate ganache. Place the baking tin in the fridge for 10 minutes or until the base has firmed.
For the ganache:
While the base is setting, prepare the ganache by heating the cream over a low heat. Roughly chop the chocolate and add to the cream once the cream is warm but not yet simmering. Add the butter and turn off the heat. Allow the mixture to rest for 1 minute. Stir until all the chocolate has melted into the cream, to form a velvety chocolate ganache. Allow to cool slightly. Pour the ganache into the chilled base. Return to the fridge to set overnight.
For the chocolate buttons to garnish:
Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl placed over a pot of just simmering water, ensuring the bowl isn’t touching the water. Stir gently until all the chocolate has melted. Spoon the melted chocolate onto baking paper placed on a baking tray, shaping the chocolate into rough circles. Before the chocolate buttons set, sprinkle over the chopped nuts and finish with some flaky salt. (If you wish, place the buttons in the fridge to set sooner.) Decorate the tart with the chocolate buttons.
To serve: To get the perfect slice of tart, heat your knife in hot water, this will allow the knife to melt through the ganache as you cut, lending the perfect slice.
Serves 20 (trust us – it’s quite rich)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Not into elaborate baking projects?