So I’m stood in work, bored as ever, letting my mind wander.. and I come up with an idea! What if, instead of jam at the bottom of a Bakewell Tart, you had chocolate.. I then spent the rest of the day refining the idea in my head, and decided that a combination of cherry and chocolate would make the best bakewell..

So today, off I set to the supermarket, to buy ingredients, to test out this theory.

First the pastry is made, just a basic shortcrust.. I always feel that puff pastry just doesn’t work well for tarts and sugar paste would be too sweet with the chocolate and frangipane. Shortcrust is a very easy recipe, half fat to flour (and for this I used 3oz fat, 6oz flour) rubbed together to form breadcrumbs and then formed into a dough with a little water. Shortcrust is a very durable paste and doesn’t have to rest, though if you want to leave it for a bit it won’t hurt.

This gave me enough to make 1 large tart (8 inch diameter) and 9 mini tartlets.

Grease your dish and line with the paste, press up to all the edges and trim with a sharp knife.

Now, to the filling! Today I decided to use a black cherry preserve and chocolate spread. I mixed the two together and spread over the bottom of the large tart. For the smaller onesI did half with just the preserve and half with just the chocolate spread.

To make the frangipane cream together 6oz butter and 6oz caster sugar, beat in 3 large eggs and then add 6oz ground almonds and 1oz plain flour. Spoon into the tartlets, you don’t need to worry too much about spreading it, it’ll sort itself out when cooking. Pour into the tart, I spread it to the edges gently with the back of a spoon just to help it along.

Sprinkle the top with flaked almonds.

Cook at 220C for half an hour and take out the tartlert, the tops will be brown. Turn down the oven to 180C and cook the tart for a further half hour, until the top is browned and the frangipane is frim to touch.

Dust with icing sugar and serve.

I’d have to say it came out very well. The plain chocolate tartlets are definitely much nicer warm, the cherry ones are good either way. The tart is ok cold but definitely at it’s best when warm.

I think next time I want to experiment with the chocolate, perhaps try making my own spread, with dark chocolate, or just use melted chocolate.. or maybe even try with a ganache, though I think that would be too sweet.

Definitely good with the cherry and chocolate together