CHOCOLATE AND ESPRESSO RICOTTA TART WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS IN COLLABORATION WITH PERFECT ITALIANO

Recipe

You would be hard pressed finding a more satisfying, comforting combination of flavours. Chocolate and Hazelnuts are just meant to be together, always, the added espresso here deepens this heavenly relationship with its dark roasted mystery while the ricotta provides a creamy nuttiness allowing all of these flavours to sing.

SERVES 8-10

FOR THE PASTRY

110g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon plain flour
¼ cup icing sugar, sifted

FOR THE FILLING

2 cups Ricotta
1 free range egg
4 teaspoons brown sugar
¼ cup strong espresso
70g dark chocolate chips
70g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

FOR THE GANACHE

50g dark chocolate chips
50ml cream

FOR THE DECORATIONS

Handful  roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C fan bake, and put a baking tray on the bottom shelf to heat up. Grease a 20cm pie or tart tin with a removable base.
  2. First, make the filling. In a food processor or mixer, blend the ricotta, egg, sugar, and espresso until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and hazelnut pieces by hand.
  3. Next, make the pastry, combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer, It should just come together as a crumbly dough, do not over mix. Press the pastry into the greased pie/tart tin, you want a thin layer along the bottom and up the sides. You may have a little bit of pastry leftover, which you can wrap up and refrigerate.
  4. Spoon in the ricotta filling and spread out evenly.
  5. Bake for around 25-35 minutes, or until your crust has turned golden and the filling has puffed.
  6. Allow the tart to cool fully before taking it out of the tart tin and placing onto a cooling rack.
  7. Meanwhile, heat the cream is a small pan until bubbles start to appear. Take off the heat and stir through the chocolate until it’s melted.
  8. Once the tart is completely cool, use a fork to drizzle the ganache over it and scatter over the hazelnuts.
  9. Serve at room temperature.
  10. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.