This molten chocolate tart is absolutely one of my all-time favourites. Warm, crunchy, gooey chocolatey heaven!

Prep time: 30 minutes, plus two hours chilling | Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

SERVES

Two (one for sharing after supper, and one for enjoying the next day)

INGREDIENTS

For the chocolate pastry case

• 150g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ½ tsp salt
• 90g icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 225g flour plain, plus more for dusting
• 30g ground almonds
• 15g cocoa powder

For the salted caramel (this makes slightly more caramel than you will need but is delicious with other desserts)

• 100g caster sugar
• 120ml double cream
• 30g salted butter

For the chocolate filling

• 100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 100g unsalted butter
• 2 eggs, separated
• 10g caster sugar
• 75g brown sugar
• 25g plain flour

To serve

• Icing sugar and cocoa powder, for dusting
• Ice cream

METHOD

1. To make the pastry, place the butter, salt and icing sugar together in a stand mixer and mix until fully combined. Add the egg, followed by the flour, ground almonds and cocoa powder, and mix until it forms a dough.
2. Knead the dough until smooth, before dividing into two even balls, wrapping in cling film and chilling in the fridge for two hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.
4. Roll out each pastry ball on a lightly floured surface to 3-4mm thick, and use them to line two 14cm tart cases, trimming the edges. Place a sheet of baking parchment over each case and fill with baking beans or dry rice. Blind bake the tart case for seven minutes, then remove the paper and beans and set aside to cool while you prepare the caramel and filling.
5. Lower the oven to 180C/160C/Gas 4.
6. To make the salted caramel, gently melt the sugar in a large frying pan, avoiding stirring it with a spoon, until melted and golden in colour – about four to five minutes. Keep an eye on it, as it will burn easily.
7. Heat the cream in the microwave until hot before pouring it directly over the melted sugar, being careful as the mixture will spit. Whisk continuously as the caramel bubbles up. Remove from the heat, mix in the butter and leave to cool to room temperature.
8. To make the chocolate filling, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water. Once melted, take off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
9. Whisk the egg whites to form stiff peaks, before gradually whisking in the sugars.
10. Once the butter and chocolate mixture has cooled, add the egg yolks to it, sift in the flour and add 40g of the salted caramel you made. Mix until combined. Fold in the egg whites delicately.
11. Place the two tart cases on a baking tray and carefully pour in the chocolate filling; you can fill to the rim – the tarts will rise during the cooking process, but won’t overflow. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until you get a very slight wobble in the centre when you shake the tray.
12. Serve with a dusting of icing sugar, cocoa powder and scoop of ice cream.