Christmas Tart

Recipes & food styling Corentin Esquenet / Photography Charlie Jackson

	1 tart shell (see recipe)
	SPICED DARK CHOCOLATE CRÉMEUX
	60ml milk
	60ml cream
	1 cinnamon quill
	1 star anise
	¼ nutmeg, grated
	2 cloves
	2 egg yolks
	25g sugar
	50g 70% dark chocolate, chopped.
	COINTREAU CHANTILLY
	160g cream
	60g mascarpone
	20g icing sugar
	15ml Cointreau
	GARNISH
	orange zest or candied orange peel
	star anise brushed with a little melted apricot jam

1.	To make the spiced dark chocolate crémeux, bring the milk, cream and spices to a simmer over a low heat.
2.	Set aside off the heat to infuse for 30 minutes.
3.	Strain the mixture, then bring back to a simmer.
4.	Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together and pour over half of the milk mixture.
5.	Whisk to combine then add it back into the pot with the rest of the milk.
6.	Whisk over a medium heat until thickened.
7.	Pour over the chocolate as soon as the cream has thickened.
8.	Whisk to combine and chill for 1 hour.
9.	Once chilled, whisk the crémeux to loosen and pour into the tart shell, using a spatula to smooth.
10.	Mix all ingredients for the Cointreau chantilly together in a bowl and whisk to a medium peak, either by hand or in the bowl of a stand mixer.
11.	Use a piping bag fitted with a French star piping tip to pipe drops of the Cointreau chantilly onto the tart.
12.	Garnish with scatters of orange zest or candied orange peel and star anise.