CHOCOLATE, MARSHMALLOW and JAM TARTS

Another nostalgic childhood treat taken to new heights in a tart, with fluffy marshmallow and raspberry jam coated with dark Belgian chocolate.

Makes 20 tarts, 8 cm (3¼ inches) in size

cooking oil spray

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) Marshmallow mixture (see Note opposite)

1 quantity Sweet shortcrust pastry

icing sugar mixture, for dusting

cornflour (cornstarch), for dusting

RASPBERRY JAM

100 g (3½ oz) frozen raspberries

50 g (1¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

juice of 1 lemon

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

210 g (7½ oz) dark Belgian chocolate (55% cocoa), chopped

140 ml (4½ fl oz) thin (pouring) cream (35% fat)

Spray a clean work surface with cooking oil spray and lay down a 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 inch) piece of baking paper. (The spray will help stick the paper to the bench to hold it in place.) Spray the paper well, then smooth out the marshmallow to cover — it should end up being about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick.

Leave to set for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Meanwhile, follow the instructions here to roll out the pastry and line twenty 8 cm (3¼ inch) round, fluted loose-based tart tins. Rest the pastry cases in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Follow the instructions here to blind-bake the tart cases in a preheated 200°C (400°F) oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, put all the jam ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Cool slightly, then purée using a hand-held blender or food processor. Cover and set aside.

Once the marshmallow has set, dust the top with a mixture of equal parts icing sugar and cornflour. Flip the marshmallow over, then remove the paper and dust the other side. Cut out 40 marshmallow circles, about 4.5 cm (1¾ inches) in size, and set aside.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Put the cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to boiling point, then pour it over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted.

Put the blind-baked tart shells on a tray. Place one marshmallow disc in the bottom of each. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the jam onto the middle of each disc, then top with another marshmallow. Spoon 2 teaspoons of warm ganache into each tart shell, smoothing it out with the back of the spoon as you go, and giving the tarts a gentle tap down to give a smooth finish.

The tarts are now good to go, but if you want to add another layer of deliciousness, you can put them in the fridge to set, then smooth a thin layer of tempered chocolate on top, for that bit of extra ‘snap’.

These tarts will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days; do not refrigerate them.

NOTE

You don’t need a lot of marshmallow to make these tarts, as a little goes a long way. Make the marshmallow mixture as instructed here and take out about 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) for these tarts, then pipe the rest as desired.