Inspired by my trip to Cottonrake, I decided to share my own recipe for a family sized dark chocolate and raspberry tart.  I’ve made it two or three times now and it always goes down a treat!  It’s a lot easier than you would think to make your own pastry – although ideally you need a food processor.  If you don’t have a food processor handy, just get some shop bought stuff.  If Mary Berry says it’s OK to buy ready-roll pastry, then it must be good!

For the pastry:

• 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• Pinch salt
• 125g cold unsalted butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 125g caster sugar

For the filling:

• 300ml double cream
• 300g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
• 75g caster sugar
• 30g unsalted butter
• Few drops vanilla extract
• 100g raspberries, plus extra to decorate

Method

• To make the pastry, put the butter, salt and flour into a food processor and pulse till it resembles bread crumbs.  If you don’t have a food processor, do this in a large bowl and rub the butter in with CLEAN hands.
• Add the egg yolks and sugar and pulse until the mixture comes together to form a dough.  You will probably need to add a few splashes of cold water if the mixture seems too dry.
• Place in a bowl, cover with clingfilm, and put in the fridge to rest for 30-40 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 200c.  Roll the dough out onto a floured surface until it is large enough to fit a 23cm tart tin.  Place into the tin and cut off the excess pastry, prick the base several times with a fork, then lay a piece of greaseproof paper on top and fill with baking beans/rice/lentils.
• Cook in the oven for fifteen minutes, then remove the baking beans and cook for a further 5 minutes until the pastry is cooked and golden.  The base of my pastry usually doesn’t turn particularly dark so don’t worry if yours doesn’t either.  Leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, bring the cream, sugar and vanilla extract SLOWLY to the boil in a pan.  While it is heating up, break the chocolate and butter up into chunks.

• Once it has come to the boil, immediately take the mixture off the heat and add the chocolate and butter.  Stir them until melted and combined to create a dark, glossy mixture (see above.)
• The pastry case should be relatively cool now.  Take the raspberries, saving 2-3 for decoration, and spread them over the pastry, then, using a spoon, slightly squash them down, as below.

• Make sure you have a good, even distribution of raspberries so that every slice will have a couple, then pour the chocolate mixture on top, leveling the mixture with the back of a spoon.
• Place in the fridge for a minimum of two hours, but it can be made the day before and stored for upto 24 hours before using.

• When you are ready to serve, remove the tart from the case and place a few raspberries on top and dust with icing sugar.  Serve with fresh cream and if you like, more fresh berries!  Enjoy!