Maple and Chocolate Ganache Tart

For the pastry:

• 200g plain flour
• 150g salted butter
• 1 egg

For the maple caramel:

• 180ml pure maple syrup (preferably amber syrup for its rich taste)
• 100ml double cream
• 120g salted butter

For the chocolate ganache:

• 200g finely chopped dark chocolate
• 150ml double cream
• 25g salted butter

To decorate:

• Pecans
• Maple flakes
• Gold flakes
• Sea salt

Method

1. In a bowl, rub butter and flour together in-between your fingertips until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
2. Make a well to crack the egg into and use your hands to mix into a ball of dough, using a little bit of water if needed. Cover in cling film and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
3. While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 180C for the pastry.
4. Take a saucepan and melt the butter with cream and maple syrup, allowing the mixture to bubble for 10 minutes or until it gets thick. Avoid stirring the mixture with a spoon by lifting the pan handle and gently circulating.
5. Remove the mixture from the pan and leave to cool in another bowl.
6. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll on a lightly dusted work surface until it’s around ½ a centimetre thick.
7. Lay the pastry sheet over a standard 8 inch fluted tart tin and gently tuck the pastry into the edges of the tin, trimming off any excess around the sides and pricking the base of the pastry case with a fork to prevent air bubbles.
8. Add a layer of greaseproof paper and fill the case with baking beans, before blind baking for 12 minutes at 180C, and another 8 minutes without the beans. If you don’t have baking beans, uncooked rice works just as well.
9. Once the pastry case is cooked, leave on the side to cool.
10. When everything has cooled down, spread the maple caramel onto the pastry, and refrigerate until the caramel has fully set (between 1 and 2 hours).
11. While the caramel sets, pour the double cream into a clean pan and heat until it just starts to boil.
12. Place the dark chocolate will be in a separate bowl, pour the hot cream over the chocolate and mix. Once it resembles a smooth and glossy ganache add a little extra salted butter and stir.
13. Pour the ganache on top of the tart and sprinkle with sea salt. Leave in the fridge between 1 and 2 hours until the chocolate is fully set.
14. Decorate with the toppings of your choice, pecans maple flakes and gold leaf work particularly well.