Last Friday night a dear friend of ours, who has recently split up with his long standing girlfriend came over for dinner. This was the first time we had seen Marco since the break-up and I thought that 'comfort food'  was required as nothing hits the spot like a bowl of homemade spaghetti and meatballs.

I had anticipated that our post dinner conversation would most likely centre on the complexity and fragility of human relationships and that we were going to require something special for dessert, as a fruit platter in this instance was just not going to cut it - hence the chocolate-lined lemon tart!

I'm confident that in the midst of heart break and painful self discovery our dear friend is on the difficult but necessary journey towards integration and wholeness. Marco is an wonderful person who not only has a heart of gold, but is an amazing friend to both Huxley and I.

And the chocolate-lined lemon tart - well it was a revelation and a comfort!


Chocolate-lined Lemon Tart

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry

115g of unsalted butter

1/3 cup castor sugar

1 organic egg yolk

½ tsp vanilla extract

185g plain flour, sifted


For the filling

100g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

3 eggs + 1egg yolk, organic

150g castor sugar

150g thick cream

Juice and zest of 3 unwaxed lemons




Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4

2. Place flour, sugar and butter in the food processor and process for 10-15 seconds or until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and continue to process until the pastry clings together and forms a ball. Remove pastry from the machine and knead it gently to form a smooth ball. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

3. Lightly flour work surface and rolling pin and roll pastry to a thickness of 2-3mm. Line 28cm diameter tart tin with pastry, trim the edges and then blind bake for 15 minutes until pale golden. Remove paper and weights and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes. Remove and cool.

4. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl that is suspended over a saucepan of simmering water. Be careful not to get any water into the mixture as the chocolate will seize. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared tart case and set it aside.

5. To make the lemon filling whisk eggs and sugar together until well combined and then add the lightly whipped cream and the lemon zest and juice and and whisk for 3-5 minutes.

6. Pour lemon filling into the tart case. Reduce the oven to150C/302F/Gasmark 2 and bake for 30 minutes. Remove tart from the oven and allow to cool. Dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.