The afternoon snack takes on a whole new dimension, enlivening Clare Smyth's 3-Michelin-starred petit fours. As an aromatic twist, subtle hints of lavender perfume the chocolate.
The dessert
A staple on the menu since CORE opened in Notting Hill in 2017, Clare Smyth's chocolate and lavender tartlets are a little guilty pleasure at your fingertips, sure to satisfy customers of all ages. It's hard to resist the contrast between the crispy shell and the melt-in-the-mouth center, enriched by a floral fragrance that tickles the nose as much as the taste buds. The inspiration, as revealed by the Michelin Guide in this special feature on its website, comes from the tart of the Parisian restaurant L'Ambroise, 3 Michelin stars, reimagined in a “mignon format” to keep the senses alive in the last round of the tasting menu.
The procedure? “It's simple,” assures the chef, “but the result depends entirely on the execution. I recommend eating the cookies immediately after baking and serving them slightly soft in the center, so that the center remains creamy.” Therefore, pay close attention to the baking time: 4 minutes will be enough to stabilize the ganache. The three-starred chef also recommends a particular type of 70% Trinitario chocolate, whose beans come from the Udzungwa Mountains National Park in Tanzania. You can easily buy it online: thanks to its caramel notes mixed with lively citrus notes, it will really make a difference, enlivening the shortcrust pastry shell.
Clare Smyth's recipe for chocolate and lavender tartlets
Serves 15
Total cooking time: 14 minutes
Preparation time: 1 hour
FOR THE SHORTCRUST PASTRY
- 150 g icing sugar
- 90 g egg yolks
- 375 g plain flour
- 188 g unsalted butter
- 5 g sea salt
Mix the butter, flour, and salt until you have a grainy mixture.
Beat the egg yolks with the icing sugar using a hand blender.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth dough. Roll out the dough between sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 5 mm.
Cut the dough into 6 cm diameter discs. Then, using round 5 x 2 cm molds, place a disc between two molds and press down. (Trim off any excess dough with a small knife.)
Bake in the oven at 160°C for 6 minutes.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE FILLING
- 108 g Udzungwa 70% dark chocolate
- 125 g cream
- 1 g dried lavender
- 2 whole eggs
- 52 g pasteurized egg yolks
- 50 g caster sugar
Break the chocolate into pieces. In a small saucepan, heat the cream to 80°C, add the lavender and leave to infuse for 4 minutes.
Remove from the heat and strain the cream through a sieve into a bowl. Add the chocolate and stir to create a ganache.
Store at room temperature. Using an electric whisk, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, similar to a zabaglione.
Slowly pour the ganache into the egg mixture with a spatula, stirring until a slightly golden mousse forms. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag.
PREPARATION OF THE TART
For each tartlet, calculate 30 g of chocolate filling. Pour the chocolate mixture into the pastry base until it reaches the edge. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 4 minutes.
The tart should have a slightly set but creamy center. If it is too runny, bake for another 30 seconds, then remove from the oven and leave to rest.
Contacts
Core By Clare Smyth
92 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2PN, Regno Unito
Phone: +44 20 39375086
