Sandy Docherty’s Fairtrade Yorkist Tart Recipe
Feeling patriotic? How about making a delicious Yorkist Tart, choc full of yummy Fairtrade ingredients. Here is the recipe:
When we think of chocolate we think of Rowntree’s, Cadbury and Fry. Back in the Victorian era these manufactures of chocolate and sweets were the largest in the country. Here in the North in York to be exact we were privileged to have a Quaker called Henry Isaac Rowntree who set up a factory in 1862 making sweets and chocolate. This factory soon grew taking over an old Iron foundry at Tanners Moat also in York. Soon the business needed a new injection of cash and the brother of Henry Isaac Rowntree became a partner. Joseph Rowntree was an industrialist and believed in a happy work force giving the workers’ rights and privileges.
The business now thriving moved to Haxby Road on the Outskirts of York in 1890. Sadly, Rowntree’s was bought by Nestle in 1988. Still, when we think of York and all it has to offer never forget that it was once the home of Rowntree’s chocolate.
This not the easiest tart to make but take care and persevere and you will have a delight to be proud of. Fabulous to present for an impressive dinner or party. Be careful with the slices, because as much as we in the North are somewhat over generous with our potions this tart does not need large slices, much better if people go back for a second slice.
The decorations are optional and what you use to decorate is not set in stone, chocolate curls, fresh raspberries, strawberries dipped in chocolate would look amazing, or just a plain slice of deliciousness with a drizzle of single cream, perfection!
For the Chocolate Pastry
175gms plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
50gms Fairtrade cocoa
50gms Fairtrade icing sugar
140gms unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
For the Filling
300gms 70% cocoa solids Fairtrade chocolate
200gms Fairtrade milk chocolate
200mls whole milk
350mls double cream
3 whole eggs
1 tablespoon of Fairtrade instant coffee made up with 2 tablespoons of water (optional)
To decorate (optional)
200gms Fairtrade white chocolate
100gms Fairtrade freeze dried cherries
Method
Pre heated oven: Gas 5, 375f, 109c,170 fan
Reduce the oven to : Gas 1, 275f, 140c, 120 fan to cook the filled flan
Make the pastry using the Hollywood chocolate pastry recipe, allowing the pastry to chill.
Meanwhile, line a flat baking tray with parchment paper butter a tart ring and put this on the lined tray.
Roll out the chocolate pastry between two sheets of cling film. Peel off the top layer of cling film and gently lower the dough into the flan ring, using the cling film to guide.
Press gently into place and leave an overhang of pastry.
MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO HOLES.
Peel off the cling film and put a piece of parchment inside the flan case fill with baking beans.
Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake again for a further 10 minutes. Remove and leave to cool on the tray. Trim off the excess pastry.
To make the decorations (optional)
Melt the white chocolate and spread thinly onto a flat clean tray, sprinkle of the crushed cherries and leave to set.
To make the filling
Gently melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. In another pan gently heat the cream and milk together with 2 tablespoons of camp coffee if you are using it.
In another bowl lightly whisk the eggs. When the milk has heated pour it onto the egg whisking all the time. This becomes a custard. Once the chocolate has melted, take it off the heat and placing a sieve over the bowl of chocolate pour the custard onto the melted chocolate. Make sure you do this part of the recipe as this process removes any cooked egg that may have formed a ‘lump’ and gives you a silky-smooth finish. Gently whisk the mixture till it turns chocolatey.
Gently pour the mixture in the pastry case and bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour or until just set in the middle.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Slide onto a serving plate using a large spatula. This is the trickiest part of the whole dish; best thing is to leave the ring on until the last minute and use a spatula that is large enough to cover the bottom of the tart.
Alternatively bake the whole tart in a loose bottom tart case and serve it by lifting off the side and leaving the base of the tin under the tart. (No-one will ever know)
Decorations.
Using a metal scraper or palette knife push it through the cold set white chocolate to make random curls and shavings, alternatively break the white chocolate into shards
When the tart is cold arrange the white chocolate decorations.
Then just tuck in and feel good!
