Recipe: Decadent Chocolate-Crusted Lemon Tart

Easter has a long history and many symbols, but let’s be honest: for a lot of us, this time of year, our thoughts turn to chocolate.

So I was thrilled when the folks at Green & Black’s sent over this amazing-looking recipe for an Organic Chocolate-Crusted Lemon Tart. It’s more sophisticated than your average chocolate bunny, but still incorporates plenty of our favourite flavour, and combines it with lemon, which for some reason always tastes like spring to me.

Just make sure to eat your rabbit food first!

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate-Crusted Lemon Tart

Pastry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. cocoa (such as Green & Black’s Organic cocoa)
Pinch salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. icing sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tsp. unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp. cold water

Filling Ingredients:

3 ‘ 4 squares dark chocolate (such as Green & Black’s Organic 70% Dark Chocolate), grated
3 juicy unwaxed lemons
150g (5oz) superfine or berry sugar
4 large eggs
2/3 cup whipping cream
icing sugar to sprinkle

Pastry Directions:

Sift together flour, cocoa, salt and icing sugar. Rub in cold butter using a food processor or your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Mix the egg yolk with the water, and add to the flour mixture to make a dough. You may need a little more water.

Gather the pastry into a ball, wrap it in grease-proof paper and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Roll out the pastry from the centre and away from you, then back to the centre and down towards you, using your weight to push down on it to avoid stretching it. Line the tart tin.

Prick the pastry base with a fork in several places and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.

To prepare for baking, line the pastry base with foil and fill with rice, dried beans or pie weights.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Take out of the oven and remove foil and weights.

Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 160°C/325°F. Baking Tip: be careful not to over bake as the chocolate pastry can quickly develop a bitter taste.

While the pastry is still hot, scatter the grated chocolate evenly over top and leave to cool.

Filling Directions:

Finely grate lemon zests and squeeze and strain lemon juice into a mixing bowl. Add sugar and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in eggs and whipping cream until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the filling into the cooled pastry base and carefully return it to the oven. Bake for 30-35 minute until just set.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before removing from tart tin.

Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Serves 6

Recipe courtesy Green & Black’s Organic
Easter 2010