Strawberry & rum truffle tart with a warm lemon cream by Lisa Smith
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 250 g8¾ oz plain flour
- 50 g1¾ oz icing sugar
- 125 g4½ oz unsalted butter, chilled
- 2 lemons, zested
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Splash of semi skimmed milk
For the filling:
- 150 g5¼ oz dark chocolate
- 200 g7 oz milk chocolate
- 500 ml17½ fl oz double cream
- Sugar cane rum, to taste
- 2 large strawberries
For the lemon cream:
- Knob of butter
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Splash of lemon juice
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- Double cream, to taste
To serve:
- Knob of butter
- Splash of sugar cane rum
- 4 large strawberries
- Fresh mint leaves
Method: How to make Strawberry and rum truffle tart
For the pastry:
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Roll out the pastry until it is ½ cm thick and line a small pre-greased ramekin. Blind bake the pastry for 15-20 minutes.
Sieve together the flour and icing sugar and rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the lemon zest, the egg and a splash of milk to form a smooth, non sticky dough.
Roll out the pastry until it is ½ cm thick and line a small pre-greased ramekin. Blind bake the pastry for 15-20 minutes.
For the filling and assembly:
In a pan, melt the dark and milk chocolates over a low heat and once smooth, stir in the cream until fully combined.Add the rum to taste and chill in the fridge.
Slice the strawberries and lay them in the bottom of the tart case. Spread a generous amount of the truffle mixture on top of the strawberries, leaving a small amount of the mixture to one side to use as a garnish.
Roll out a lid from the remaining pastry and cover the tart. Bake the tart in the oven for a further 10 minutes until the top has browned.
For the lemon cream:
In a pan, slowly melt the butter and add the lemon zest, a splash of fresh lemon juice and the brown sugar. Stir slowly and melt the sugar into the butter. When the lemon has started to go translucent, add the cream to taste. Pass the cream through a sieve and keep warm.
To serve:
Melt the butter in a pan, add a splash of the rum and gently fry a few whole strawberries to sit on the plate drizzled with a little of the reheated chocolate mixture.
Place the pie on the serving plate with a drizzle of the rum butter garnish and a quenelle of the lemon cream on the side with a sprig of fresh mint to finish.
