Chocolate tart with a pecan biscuit crust

This tart is delicious and tastes even better a couple of days after you’ve made it, so it’s a perfect make-ahead dessert. The filing is a simple brownie-like cake and the crust is a favorite cheesecake base of mine, made even tastier with the addition of crushed pecans.

Chocolate tart with pecan crust
8″ or 9″ round pie serves 6 to 8

for the crust
250g pack of digestive biscuits (about 18)
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Line an 8″ or 9″ spring-form pan with parchment paper then heat the oven to 350F (180C).  Pulse biscuits, nuts and sugar in a food processor until they are crumbs, or in an ziplock bag by giving them a good bash with rolling pin, mix them with the melted butter and press the mixture, while warm, into the bottom of the lined pan.

for the filling
9 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup castor or superfine sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
2 tablespoons plain flour
pinch of salt

Melt the butter and chocolate together; once it’s smooth add half the sugar, the egg yokes and the flour.

Whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt until you’ve got soft peaks, then slowly whilst still whipping add the rest of the sugar until the whites are smooth and glossy and form peaks that can hold their shape, you can do this by hand but you will get a sore arm, it’s much easier with an electric whisk. Use a spatula to fold the whites into the chocolate mixture about a 1/3 at a time; don’t over mix just go until there isn’t any white showing.

Pour/scrape the mixture onto the crust, place the pan on a baking sheet as sometimes the butter in the crust can leak slightly, and cook for about 35-minutes or until the centre is slightly firm, but not over cooked.

It will sink down and get a nice crackly look while it cools, and as I said earlier it really is best to give it a day or two before you eat it (I know that’s not an easy ask!) – Melani