Dark Chocolate Ganache tartes made with Espresso pastry, topped with flaked almond brittle

The pastry

Sweet Paste ingredients:

• 1 pinch of golden caster sugar
• 8 oz. of diced cold butter
• 16 oz. of plain sieved flour
• 3 tbsp. of cold milk to bind 
• 2 tablespoons of freshly ground coffee, brewed from the Moka.

1. To begin this paste, in a large bowl sieve your flour and add your golden caster.
2. Next add your diced butter to the flour and rub together to combine, this is a key step to making short pastry as you want the flour and butter to be blended evenly. 
3. At this point add in your freshly ground coffee, I like to use the coffee from the morning which I have just had in my Moka, exploring different coffee textures and flavours ranging in flavours profiles and roast blends, such as Light and medium roasted. 
4. Once blended add a touch of milk to bind.
5. Once ready and the bowl is clean wrap your sweet paste in some cling film to relax, by allowing the dough to relax you are allowing the gluten in the flour to relax which you work when making a Tarte case. 
6. Lay out your pop bottom tarte cases and line with butter, as this helps to form a non-stick surface. 
7. Allow your dough to room a little, portion into four and roll on either a floured surface or between two sheets of non-stick greaseproof paper (if you don’t want to make a mess!)
8. Roll your dough out to the thickness of a one-pound coin, for me I prefer to have a thin crisp base to my espresso and dark chocolate tarte.
9. Using a blunt knife cut your pastry and push into the tarte cases for even pushing use a little of the dough from the trim to ensure that you have all of the dough pushed into the edges of the tarte case. 
10. Blind bake with some greaseproof paper and baking beans, as this helps to ensure for an even bake. By blind baking a tarte case you help to ensure that the case is waterproof and will be able to hold the filling. 
11. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden 
12. Then allow to cool completely in the tarte case before pushing them out.  
13. Make sure your tarte cases are completely cool before you pour in your chocolate ganache mixture. 

Dark Chocolate Ganache:

• 8 ounces of dark chocolate
• 8 ounces of double cream
• 150 grams of unsalted butter
• Pinch of natural pink sea salt

1. To begin your Dark Chocolate Ganache, in a large mixing bowl whisk your cream to soft peaks.
2. Next place a pan of water onto a high heat, once the water has began to boil, place a large Pyrex glass bowl above the top ensure that the bowl and the water DON’T TOUCH or otherwise this will cause the chocolate to crystallise and split. 
3. Smash your chocolate bar into large shards and place into the bowl along with your butter.
4. Once the chocolate and butter has begun to melt add a generous pinch of ground pink natural rock sea salt to your chocolate mixture. 
5. Remove your bowl from the heat and begin to ripple the chocolate through your double cream, whisking to incorporate, ensure you add this in a steady stream or otherwise your chocolate and cream mixture will just split. 
6. Taste and adjust if needs be.
7. For immediate use at this point, add your ganache to your cooled tarte pastry cases. Or if you plan  to assemble later, just decant into a glass jar and keep in your fridge, it also doubles up as the most indulge chocolate mousse or even better roll it into beautifully rustic truffles!

To assemble pop your tarte cases, decant the chocolate ganache mixture into the tarte cases and reserve in the fridge until required later on. 

Flaked almond Brittle Shards:

• 8 oz. of toasted flaked almonds
• 8 oz. of caster sugar 
• Enough water to cover 

1. To begin place a large frying onto a medium to high heat, add in your flaked almonds in one layer to ensure that they all colour at the same time
2. By gently warming the flaked almonds you are releasing their natural oils and fragrance.
3. Whilst toasting your nuts, place your pan of caster and water onto a high heat to reduce and evaporate. Ensure that your sugar doesn’t catch or crystallise during this process.
4. Once your sugar begins to turn a nut brown keep an eye on the sugar, the key to making brittle is you have to be prepared, so get your baking tray lined and ready before hand.
5. Add your flaked almonds and stir to incorporate together ensuring that the almonds are all covered in the hot sugary mixture. 
6. Allow to set rock hard in a cool dry place.
7. Once ready you can either snap or use a knife to shard your brittle into pieces. 

To plate go free style !!!