Sunken Chocolate Orange Tart

Lightly spiced with a hint of orange, this rich chocolate tart is best served in thin slices. The dried orange slices are also great popped into drinks, and your short on time, just pick up a pouch of Peel & Tonic dried orange slices.

Prep:
30 minutes
Cook:
60 minutes + 2 hours for dried oranges
Serves:
8-10

Ingredients

2 oranges

2 Tbsp caster sugar

1 packet Paneton Sweet Pastry, defrosted

150ml cream

2 cloves

1 cinnamon quill

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

2 cardamom pods

1/2 tsp vanilla paste

1 orange, zest and juice

150g Trade Aid 55% classic dark chocolate, roughly chopped

2 eggs

50g caster sugar

cocoa powder for dusting

Method

Heat the oven to 100°C. Line 2 trays with baking paper and lightly spray with vegetable oil

Thinly slice the oranges and spread in a single layer over the trays. Sprinkle with the 2 Tbsp of sugar. Bake for 1 hour, turn over and bake for another hour, then keep cooking for a further 30 mins or until the oranges are dry to touch (watch carefully in the last 30 mins as they burn easily). Cool

Heat the oven to 180°C. Unroll the pastry and fit into a fluted rectangular tart tin approx. 11x 35cm, or a 22cm round tin (tin needs capacity for 1 litre liquid)

Cover the pastry with baking paper and fill with ceramic beans, beans or rice and bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper and cook for a further 10 mins until golden. Set aside to. cool (it can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container)

Put the cream, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and vanilla paste into a saucepan. Thinly peel the zest from the orange, add to the cream and bring up to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside for at least 20 mins to allow the flavours to infuse

Put the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Reheat the infused cream and bring to a boil. Strain through a fine sieve to remove the spices. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir in until the chocolate melts. Cool slightly and stir in the juice from the orange

Heat the oven to 160°C. Whisk the eggs with the sugar until thick and foamy. Fold egg mix through the chocolate mix and then pour into the prepared tart shell

Bake for 25-30 mins until puffed up and with just a slight wobble. Allow to cool and sink a little

Just before serving, dust with a little cocoa and scatter over the dried oranges. Serve with whipped cream, creme fraiche, yoghurt, or vanilla ice cream