Chocolate Tart

I know there are hundreds of traditional, gorgeous Christmas cakes, but this one is such a delicious treat, ideal for cold winter days and a guaranteed success as everybody loves chocolate.

We usually spend Christmas in Italy with grandparents but I always have a Christmas dinner before leaving with candles, crackers, little presents for everybody and a special cake.

You can buy ready-made short crust pastry, or make it with 250 g of flour, 100 g of sugar, 50 g of butter, 2 eggs and 1 tsp of baking powder.  Rub in the  ingredients, in a bowl, and knead the dough for about ten minutes, then wrap it in a tea towel and keep it in the fridge for half an hour.

For the filling you need: 50 g of flour, 4 tbsp of milk, 2 eggs, 300 ml of thick double cream, 4 tbsp of sugar, 100 g dark chocolate, 100 g milk chocolate and 100g nuts.

Grind the dark and milk chocolate and the nuts in a blender, add all the other ingredients and mix.

Roll out the dough and place it in a round greased tin.  Pour the mixture on the short crust pastry and bake for half an hour at 150° C.  When it is cold, sprinkle the tart with half a tbsp of cocoa powder and half a tbsp of icing sugar.

Decorate with holly, sugar stars or a special Christmas decoration such as poinsettias.

Happy Christmas!