No-Bake Chocolate Tart

I’ve got to thank my friend and fellow-baker Von for this recipe; since she told me about it, I’ve made it several times. Mostly because I’m lazy and  this recipe doesn’t require any actual baking.

You can add raspberries and cocoa on top, like I’ve done here, in order to make it look far more fancy than it actually is, but this is likely the simplest recipe you’ll ever see in this column. The hardest thing is choosing what kind of biscuits to use – I think the original recipe used oreos, but I’ve gone for ginger nuts because I like that fiery ginger tang. If you use ginger flavoured dark chocolate for the topping, I’m sure that would make this recipe even better. Then, there’s the chocolate. It’d be nice to say that you could switch the chocolate around willy nilly, but it’s not quite as simple as that. Different chocolates have different amounts of fat in them, and therefore set differently if you mix them with cream. This recipe is for dark chocolate, but to make it with white chocolate, use 200ml instead of 300ml of cream. To use milk chocolate, go in the middle: go for 250ml.

Step 1

First, find a suitable tin. You could use a completely round tart tin or, better yet, an 8-inch springform cake tin. Whichever it is, line the bottom the baking paper (non-stick greaseproof).

Step 2

In a food processor, blend your packet of biscuits until they’re like breadcrumbs. In a saucepan, melt your butter over a medium heat (don’t burn it), then pour this into your food processor too. Blitz to combine.

Step 3

Pour your biscuity mix onto the base of your tin and spread out. Use the back of a spoon to press it down until smooth. Don’t press too hard or it will set like a rock.

Step 4

Into a bowl, break your chocolate into chunks. In a saucepan, heat your cream until it is just about to start simmering, then pour it over your chocolate. Gently mix these together with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth and glossy.

Step 5

Pour your chocolate ganache mix onto your buttery biscuit base and smooth out with a (different) spoon. Place this in the fridge to set for at least an hour. It will keep for several days.

Step 6

To serve, heat up a butter knife by placing it in a mug of just-boiled water. Dry the knife, then pass it around the edge of the tin, repeating as necessary. Remove the side of the tin, then the base, and place on a plate or cake stand. Decorate with raspberries, then dust with a little cocoa powder using a sieve.

Top Tip:

The chocolate topping is a chocolate ganache. If you’ve got any left over, why not make some chocolate truffles? Place the pan in the fridge to cool, then scoop out little bits of ganache and shape them into balls. Toss them in cocoa to finish.