Chocolate tart with pear and caramel sauce

Serves 8

Pate Sablee (shortbread dough)

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
100g icing sugar
2 egg yolks
250g plain flour
1 drop of vanilla or lemon essence

Method

In a food processor combine the butter and salt and sugar and blitz quickly add the vanilla and eggs and blitz again then lastly add the flour. Turn the dough on to a board and wrap in cling film and chill and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Transfer the dough to a sheet of waxed paper and with your hands gently form the dough into a ball and flatten it into a circle and then carefully roll the dough out to form a circle to fit the tin. Transfer it to the prepared tart pan. Generously prick the dough lining the bottom of the tart pan and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 375°f / 190°c / gas 5
Remove the tart shell from the refrigerator, place on a baking sheet in the centre of the oven. Bake the pastry for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool the pastry case for at least ½ hour before filling with the chocolate mixture.

Filling Mixture

180ml double cream
90ml milk
175g dark chocolate
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Method

Pre-heat oven to 190°c/375ºf/gas 5
In a medium saucepan combine the cream and milk and bring to a simmer over a moderate heat. Remove the pan from the heat, pass through a sieve into a clean bowl add the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is thoroughly melted and the mixture is well blended. Set aside to cool to lukewarm. When cooled add the egg and whisk until thoroughly blended.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pastry shell. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the filling is slightly firm but still trembling in the centre. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Serve warm at room temperature.

Pear and caramel sauce

115g sugar 50ml orange juice - hot
55g unsalted butter 50ml double cream
3 x pears, peeled, cored, Pulp of ½ vanilla bean
and cut into ½ inch dice
Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until golden brown and caramelised. Add the orange juice and stir until combined. Add the butter, vanilla bean pulp, cream, and pear pieces and cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce comes together.