Pedro Ximénez is a classic, luscious, sweet Spanish dessert sherry made using sun dried Pedro Ximénez grapes. It is dark mahogany in colour, reminiscent of raisins on the nose with a rich, sweet and velvety notes on the mouth leaving a very long finish.
Pedro Ximénez sherry is intensely sweet and has a real affinity with milk chocolate and is widely available in all good licensed premises. This recipe uses a generous helping of Pedro Ximénez to transform an ordinary chocolate tart recipe into something sensational.
If you wish to add extra depth to the chocolate tart then replace milk chocolate with dark chocolate in this recipe. Enjoy.
Shopping List:
Pastry:
– 190g Cream flour.
– 100g Unsalted butter (diced).
– 75g Caster sugar.
– Pinch of salt.
– 1 Organic egg (lightly beaten).
– Egg wash.
– 10″ tart tin (26cm).
Chocolate Filling:
– 400ml of double cream.
– 200g Valrhona / Lilly O’ Brien’s / Lindt milk chocolate.
– A generous pinch of sea salt.
– 25g Caster sugar.
– 2 Organic eggs.
– 100ml Pedro Ximénez (double serving).
– 1 Tsp vanilla essence.
Method
1. Place the flour, sugar, salt and butter into a food processor. Using the pulse setting, pulse the mixture a number of times slowly until the mixture resembles curse breadcrumbs. Add in the egg until the mixture comes together. Do not over work the dough as it will make the pastry tough.
2. Flatten out the dough on a floured surface into a rectangular shape 2cm thick. Then wrap in cling flim and place in the fridge for 30mins. Alternatively place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
3. Grease your loose bottom pastry tin lightly with butter and remove the pastry from the fridge. Roll out the pastry on a cold floured marble surface to a width of half an inch. Ensure you are rolling a circular shape enough to cover the sides and ends of your tin using the round loose base as your guide.
4. Using a pallet knife gently lift the pastry over your tart tin. With some of the left-over pastry, roll a small 1 inch ball of pastry dough and use this to smooth out the edges of your tart tin. Using a folk, prick the base, cover with cling film and place the lined tin in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4. Take the pastry tin out of the fridge and line with baking parchment coming up over the sides of the tin. Fill the tin with baking beans and ‘bake blind’ for 20 minutes until the pastry is dry.
6. Take the beans out of the pastry tray, brush the pastry with egg wash and place it back in the oven for a further 3-5 minutes until the pastry is pale and golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you make the chocolate filling.
7. Heat the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a gentle heat until it reaches the ‘shivery stage’. Remove from the heat, add chocolate and stir until melted. Then mix in the sea salt, Pedro Ximénez and vanilla.
8. Whisk the eggs yolks and the sugar until they form a thick, white, froth and gently fold into the chocolate mixture so as to not knock out any of the air.
9. Bake for 20 minutes until just set with a very slight wobble in the centre. Do not over cook the chocolate mixture as you will dry out the tart.
10. Cool completely before serving. It is perfectly fine to make this tart the evening before your dinner party. Serve with a glass of Pedro Ximénez, a dessert wine or a strong black coffee.
Cinnamon Cream
– 150ml Cream.
– 3 Tbp Icing Sugar.
– 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon.
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to soft peaks.
