Happy Sunday! It’s been a slow weekend, and I’m not mad about it. It’s been a busy old week of work, events and a cinema trips, so some downtime in kitchen has been just what the doctor ordered. I’ve been thinking more and more about the kinds of recipes for entertaining friends and family at this time of year (see last week’s post), and with that came the idea for this hazelnut and chocolate tart.

I really enjoy working with chocolate; it’s such a versatile ingredient and has been inspiring me a lot lately. Pastry on the other hand is something I will 9/10 avoid making from scratch, but with some time on my hands, I gave this shortcrust method another go. It’s pretty fail-safe, and can be whipped up in 10 minutes so I’d encourage you to have a go too! With a decadently rich filling, nutty topping and sweet, ripe figs for a luxurious finish, these are flavours and textures that work in harmony.

Serves 8-10 | Prep: 30 mins | Cooking: 55 minutes

For the shortcrust pastry:

• Round 20cm non-stick pie tin (removable base)
• 250g organic plain flour
• 150g chilled salted butter, cubed
• 2-3 tablespoons water

For the chocolate filling:

• 150g 70% dark chocolate
• 400ml double cream
• 120g whole hazelnuts
• 2 free-range eggs
• Pinch of sea salt

For the caramel sauce:

• 100ml double cream
• 50g salted butter
• 2 tbsp light soft brown sugar

To serve:

• Dusting of icing sugar
• 4-5 fresh figs, halved
• Caramel sauce

Step one: On a clean work surface, sieve the flour from a height. Use your hands to make a well, and rub the cubes of butter into the flour until you end up with a fine, crumbly mixture. Add a little water at this point to bind and knead the dough together, but avoid overworking.

Step two: Flour the surface and place the dough on top. Press firmly with the palm of your hand, then wrap in clingfilm before letting it rest in fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Step three: In that time, prepare the chocolate ganache filling. In a saucepan, simmer the cream on a low heat for about 10 minutes until it begins to bubble at the sides. Turn off the heat and add the broken pieces of chocolate and a pinch of sea salt, stirring continuously until smooth and melted. Leave to cool. Whisk one whole egg and one yolk, and add to the ganache. Mix well and set aside.

Step four: Flour the surface and roll your pastry so it’s thin enough to cover your tin. Gently and evenly press the pastry into the tin and up the sides. Prick the base several times with a fork, and use a sharp knife to remove the excess pastry from the rim. Fill with a circle of greaseproof paper and baking beans (or dried pasta). Blind bake for 15 minutes at 150 degrees to cook the pastry.

Step five: Once cooked, remove the greaseproof paper and baking beans. Spread the base with 60g whole hazelnuts, then fill with the ganache. Return to the oven for approx. 30 minutes. The edges should be firm and the centre still a little soft. Remove from the oven as the residual heat will continue the cooking process.

Step six: Crush and roast the remaining 60g hazelnuts on a baking tray for five minutes. This will release their natural oils and give a wonderful, earthy flavor to the tart. Sprinkle on the tart and chill for at least two hours.

Step seven: To make the caramel sauce, melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan on a low heat for about five minutes. Once bubbling, pour in the cream and stir gently. It will thicken quickly, so remove from the heat when this happens and set aside. It should be glossy and cover the back of a spoon.

To serve: Dust the tart with icing sugar. Halve the figs and assemble in the centre, and drizzle over the cooled caramel sauce generously. Slice and serve with lightly whipped cream.