Caramelised white chocolate, ginger caramel & macadamia tarts

Method

• step 1

  For the sweet pastry, put the flour, almonds, icing sugar, salt and vanilla seeds into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and pulse again until fully combined. If the pastry isn’t coming together into a uniform mass, add chilled water, 1 tsp at a time, and pulse until the dough starts to come together. Be careful not to overwork the dough as you will make the pastry tough, and it’s likely to shrink more when cooked. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and lightly knead until smooth and uniform in colour. Wrap in cling film and chill until needed.

• step 2

  To make the caramelised white chocolate, heat oven to 120C/100C fan/gas ½. Put the chocolate on a large baking tray and bake for 45 mins-1 hr, giving it a good stir every 10 mins, until it’s a light golden brown – almost the colour of peanut butter. After 45 mins or so, the chocolate may start to look chalky or seized, but should become smooth again after a good stir. If not, don’t worry, as it will be melted again in the next stage. Scrape the chocolate into a bowl, cover and set aside.

• step 3

  For the bavarois, pour the milk into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk together. Put the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water and leave to soften for 3-5 mins. Once the milk has come to the boil, pour onto the egg mixture while whisking quickly together to prevent the eggs scrambling. Pour back into the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens (if you have an instant-read thermometer, it should be 75-80C). Pour the custard into a bowl and add 150g of the caramelised chocolate and the gelatine (squeezing out the water), stirring until both have melted. Sieve through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps from the chocolate. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill until the custard has cooled and started to set around the side of the bowl – but don’t leave for too long or it will set completely. Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks and carefully fold this through the custard until smooth and fully combined. Pour the mixture into the holes of your silicone dome mould and carefully place in the freezer until frozen solid (best left overnight).

• step 4

  Now bake your tart cases. Remove the pastry from the fridge and allow to soften slightly for 15 mins before rolling out until it is around 2mm thick. Cut out rounds of pastry just larger than the 6 tartlet cases and use to carefully line. Place the lined cases onto a parchment-lined baking tray and chill in the fridge or freezer until the pastry is firm. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the tarts with a piece of parchment and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake the tarts for 20 mins, then remove the parchment and beans, and bake for a further 5-10 mins until the bases of the tarts start to brown. Allow the tarts to cool fully.

• step 5

  For the ginger macadamia caramel, put the cream and ginger in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid, allowing the ginger to infuse into the cream for 1 hr. Strain the cream through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring jug, topping back up to 120ml if needed. Put the sugar in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and cook until the sugar has melted and caramelised, swirling but not stirring, until it is a dark caramel colour. Pour in half the cream – be careful as this mixture will bubble up violently. Once the caramel has settled, add in the remaining cream, stirring over the heat if any lumps have formed. Add the butter and ¾ of the nuts, and stir to combine. Once the caramel has cooled slightly, divide it between the tart shells.

• step 6

  For the glaze, put the remaining 225g of caramelised white chocolate in a bowl. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then pour over the chocolate, stirring until you have a smooth, pourable glaze. Remove the bavarois domes from the freezer and carefully unmould, placing them on a wire rack set over a baking tray. While the glaze is still warm and fluid, pour over the domes, making sure the entire surface is covered. Using a small palette knife, lift the domes from the rack and carefully place on top of the tarts.

• step 7

  To decorate, chop the remaining nuts so they are fairly fine, then press around the base of the domes where they sit on the tarts. Chill for 30 mins (or up to 24 hrs) to allow the bavarois to defrost before serving.