My Mum is the best kind of entertainer. When her friends pop over for a cuppa, there is always something sweet and homemade to have with it; a lamington or almond biscuit perhaps. When we stop by with our own kids now, Mum loves to cook the food from our childhood. It’s comforting and reassuringly good. To me, entertaining is just that, making people feel welcome in your home and generously feeding them with comfort food.
It’s with that thought in mind that I came up with these heavenly Chocolate and Nutella tartlets. They are, without a doubt, the kind of comfort food I serve when entertaining our family and friends. They really are a cinch to prepare, yet they look like they have been on display in a French Patisserie shop-front. The very mention of Nutella brings a smile to the face of most people I know, so just wait ‘til they devour these babies.
Makes 12
What you’ll need:
1 x 12 pack Pampas sweet tart cases, frozen
Double cream to serve
Extra unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Chocolate and Nutella ganache
150 grams milk chocolate
¼ cup Nutella
¼ cup thickened cream
Hazelnut praline
¼ cup (50 grams) hazelnuts
1 cup castor sugar
½ cup water
Pinch sea salt flakes
What to do:
Preheat your oven to 180°C.
Place frozen tart cases on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 12 minutes or until lightly browned and the pastry cases are dry and cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool, then remove from foil packaging.
For the praline, while the oven is hot, roast the hazelnuts on a tray until lightly browned (about 8 minutes). Remove and place the nuts in a clean tea towel and rub to remove their skins, then set the nuts aside to cool and discard the skins. Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan over a medium heat and allow the sugar to dissolve. Without stirring the syrup, turn the heat to high and allow it to bubble until it turns a golden caramel colour, pushing down any sugar crystals that form on the saucepan with a wet pastry brush. Quickly but carefully, add the hazelnuts to the caramel then pour the mixture onto a lightly oiled baking tray. (Note: If the baking tray is warm it helps the caramel to spread and become thinner.) Wait a minute before sprinkling the sea salt over the praline, to ensure the salt doesn’t melt. Set the praline aside to cool completely, then break it up into small pieces.
For the Chocolate and Nutella ganache, melt the chocolate with the cream over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second bursts until smooth. Add the Nutella to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine, then spoon one tablespoon of the ganache into each of the tart shells. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes until the ganache is set. Finish the tartlets by sprinkling with some of the hazelnut praline, then top with a dollop of double cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.
NB: This batch of praline will be enough to cover double the number of tartlets or you can store the remainder in an airtight container in the fridge for the next lucky guests.
Recipe, photo and styling by Karen McFarlane
