• Chocolate-stuffed prune and almond tart

    Ingredients

    • PASTRY
    • 175g cake flour
    • 90g butter
    • 60g castor sugar
    • 2 large egg yolks
    • 80ml milk
    • FILLING
    • 300g pitted dried prunes
    • 175g castor sugar
    • 175ml brandy
    • 90g 65% chocolate
    • 175g butter
    • 2 large eggs
    • 175g whole almonds, skins on

    Instructions

    1

    To make the pastry, tip the flour, chopped butter and castor sugar into a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter between your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Lightly whisk the egg yolks and milk and add to the flour mixture. Stir until the dough comes together. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring the dough together to form a flattish ball. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for an hour.

    2

    Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to line a 30cm tart tin and prick the base of the tart with a fork. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes. Bake blind for 15 minutes or until cooked.

    3

    Meanwhile make the topping: tip the prunes, 15ml of castor sugar and brandy in a saucepan and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes or until the prunes have absorbed the brandy, set aside to cool, then stuff each prune with broken chocolate.

    4

    Cream the butter and sugar until pale, beat in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated, stir in the ground almonds. Spoon the almond filling into the cooked shell and scatter around the prunes, pressing down lightly. Bake the tart for 20 – 30 minutes or until coloured. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing the tart.

    JENNY’S NOTES
    • The recipe doesn’t specify dark chocolate, but I just assumed it was, and used Lindt (easy to get hold of).
    • It serves eight, I think, although there was nothing left over when I gave it to six hungry people (I served it with good vanilla ice cream).