Shalvi Mohindra
Pastry Chef and Chocolatier
Ingredients
- 215g whole wheat flour
- 40g icing sugar
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 110g unsalted butter, cold
- 1 large egg
- 20ml cold milk
- 1 ½ cups rice or any lentils, for blind baking the tart base
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 200ml Coconut Cream
- 200g 70% Dark Chocolate buttons
Instructions
1. In a mixing bowl of stand mixer, sift flour, icing sugar and salt. Cut cold butter in small cubes, add to the bowl with paddle attachment, mix on a slow setting until the flour has coated butter and it looks like a sandy texture.
2. Beat an egg and add to the mixer while mixing it at a slow pace.
3. Now slowly add cold milk until the dough is formed. Do not over mix. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes before rolling it in a pie dish.
4. To cover the pie dish, roll the dough and use flour to prevent it from sticking. The thickness of the dough can be 2mm. Once you have received the required thickness, keep the pie dish in the middle of the rolled dough and cut a circle larger than the dish. Place the circular flat dough in the dish and press it down with hands giving it the structure of the pie dish. Let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour before blind baking.
5. Blind Baking – preheat the oven at 180 degrees, cut a parchment paper and place it on the lined dish and place lentils or rice and blind bake for 15 minutes. Take it out from the oven once the edges are golden and the base is cooked, you can finish last 5 minutes of baking without the rice and baking paper to allow the base to bake properly.
6. Bring the coconut cream to a boil in a pot.
7. Once the cream starts to boil, remove it from the heat and add all the chocolate buttons, let it sit for 3-4 minutes. The heat from the coconut cream will melt the chocolates and it will be easier to mix as compared to mixing the chocolate right away.
8. Using a spatula, gently mix the chocolate and cream. Once you reach a homogenous mixture, pour it over the baked tart base.
9. Add desired garnish like fresh blueberries and pecans, let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
Shalvi has studied Diplome de Patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu, New Zealand and now specialises as a chocolatier. She had previously worked as a Chef de Partie for airline catering, creating desserts for first class and business class passengers, and is now working as a Head chocolatier at Cocoa Wilds, where all the products are freshly made using no preservatives or artificial flavours…
If you would like to learn more about Shalvi, see Expert: Shalvi Mohindra.
