Ingredients

A good ’short eating’ sweet pastry to line or block into foil cases.

For the filling (makes 30 tarts using 4" cases)

Whipping cream 900g

Milk 800g

Egg yolks 20

Caster sugar 270g

Dark couverture, cocoa content 70% or above 500g

Method

1. Bring to the boil the milk and the cream. Melt the chocolate. (image A)

2. Whisk the chocolate into the milk and cream mixture. (B)

3. Mix together the egg yolks and sugar. (C)

4. Pour the hot chocolate cream mixture over the egg and sugar. (D)

5. Return to the pan; bring back to the boil, whisking all the time. This mix can be used straightaway or may be cooled and refrigerated in a sealed container until required. (E)

6. Lightly part-bake the pastry cases.

7. Pipe the filling into the pastry cases (slight dome). (F)

8. Bake at 170?C for 25 minutes until set. Allow to cool completely, before adding chocolate decorations.

Tip: you can ring the changes by using different chocolates - for example, white or caramel. Or why not do a delicious ’chocolate orange tart’? Make this by adding a tangy orange curd in the base before the chocolate filling is piped in