Love: Queen of Tarts style

Smell that? That’s love in the air, that is. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and love it or hate it, there’s no escape. Chances are, even if you’re not a fan of this day devoted to declarations of love, your partner is. Why not earn some brownie points this year that will see you through the cold nights come winter?

With that in mind, The Queen of Tarts, Tina Bester can assist you with a simple recipe that will surprise, nay, amaze your love. Instead of picking up a bunch of bedraggled flowers from the Shell garage on your way home to the Mrs, or having to think up sweet nothings to write on a post-it note to leave in hubbies sock drawer, why not try your hand at making Chocolate Ganache and Strawberry Tarts? With minimal planning, you can provide a love infested gift, straight from the heart – because everyone knows if you’ve made it yourself, you really care.

Or if, like a rather odd member of staff here at Quivertree HQ, you are scared of all things remotely culinary, you could forego making the tarts yourself and buy one of Tina’s books to present to the chef in your life, so they can make them for you…not just for Valentine’s Day, but any day you like!

This particular recipe comes from the book Tarts, but you’ll find that Tina continues the heart shaped theme throughout all of her books in one way or another.

Chocolate Ganache and Strawberry Tarts

1 portion chocolate pastry (see recipe below) • 450g dark chocolate • 125ml fresh cream • 250g strawberries • icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Press the chocolate pastry into 6 loose-bottomed heart tins. Place them in the fridge for 30 minutes and then bake them blind for 10 minutes (no need for baking paper and beans for this pastry). Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Warm the cream and add it to the melted chocolate, incorporating it into the chocolate from the middle using a whisk.

Pour the ganache into the baked tart shells and put them aside to set. Wash and hull the strawberries and cut them into thin slices. Top the tarts with the strawberry slices just before serving and dust lightly with icing sugar.

Serves 6

chocolate pastry

110g butter • 100g sugar • 1 large egg • 1 large egg yolk • 225g flour • 25g cocoa

Process the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a food processor and while the motor is still running, add the whole egg and the yolk. Add the flour and cocoa and blend into a dough. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and refrigerate until needed.

Tina’s books, Celebrate, Comfort, Jampacked and Tarts are available from all good bookstores.

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