Chocolate Pastry - Tart of Currants and Quatre epices Mousse - Sweet Melissa Sundays


A lovely chocolate piecrust to start the new year with. I thought a white chocolate mousse filling with quatre epices would go nicely with the chocolate pie crust.

SMS Chocolate Pastry

1 cup plus 2 tsp Flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 tb Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tb cold Unsalted Butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup Cold Solid Vegetable Shortening
3-4 tb Ice water

In a large bowl whisk together flour, cocoa sugar & salt. Toss the butter into the flour mixture. using a pastry blend, cut the butter into the flour until it is the size of large peas.

Pinch off small pices of the shortening into the flour mixture and toss to coat. Using the pastry blender, continue cutting the butter and the shortening into the flour mixutre, until they are the size of small peas.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixutre. Pour about half of the water into the well, and, with a fork, pull the flour into the well. Continue mixing until the dough just comes together. Add more water if needed.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gather the dough into a ball. Flatten it into a round disk, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hr before rolling it out.

Roll out the dough to fit into the 9-inch or 10inch pie plate. Pop into the freezer for at least an hour, or or until frozen.

Preheat oven to 180C, pop the pie straight into the oven from the freezer - this stops the pastry from shrinking. Bake for 15-20min.

Quatre Epices White chocolate mousse

1/2 Cup Currants, soaked in rum overnight.

Dash of Allspice, ground
Smidgen of Cinnamon, ground
Smidgen of Nutmeg, ground
Smidgen of Cloves, ground

100ml Milk
1tsp Gelatine
4tsp Water
220ml Single Cream
200g White chocolate

Mix gelatine with water and leave to dissolve. Heat milk gently, add the four spices, then stir in gelatine mix.

Break chocolate into small pieces in a heat proof bowl. Pour over hot milk mix, stir until blended. Cool to room temperature.

Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mix.

Spread currants into baked pie shell and pour mousse over the top. Chill to set.

Enjoy!


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12 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting this week Donna! Your pie is stunning. I love the idea of a white chocolate mousse.

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  2. Thanks for hosting this week! This looks so yummy!

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  3. Thank you for hosting this week. Your pie filling looks really good!

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  4. Your mousse looks heavenly! Thanks for hosting this week.

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  5. thanks for hosting! your white chocolate mousse looks so great, it's a nice contrast visually from the chocolate pie crust. i wasn't a big fan of the crust (i like an oreo cookie crust better) but it was fun to try another new recipe!

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  6. Your filling looks wonderful. Mine was way too thin, because I used a tart pan that was too big. Thanks for hosting, Patty

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  7. Love your filling. Thanks for hosting!

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  8. Sorry I didn't bake with you this week. Your pie looks delicious!!! How interesting to mix spices with white chocolate. I have to try your filling and I think it will work just as well with a gingersnap crust.

    I read your earlier post, and I wanted to say congratulations on the new job. Are you all moved and settled in by now?

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  9. Looks delicious! Sorry I didn't bake with you. I was traveling from Virginia to Kansas and back to Virginia, all in 75 hours. :)

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  10. Thanks for all the comments ladies, it was a pleasure to be able to host last week :)

    I hope you all had lots of fun choosing a filling. Hanaa, I'm sure that a gingersnap crust would work wonderfully with this filling.

    I'm mostly settled in, I've only just got all my boxes unpacked (including baking tins), as they took an age to get through Australian customs, so will be back to blogging and baking a bit more regularly now!

    - Donna

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  11. Ooh-la-la! Very nicely done!!

    You have quite a nice blog here. Excuse me while I check out more of your posts!

    :)
    ButterYum

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  12. Donna,

    Your pie looks wonderful. White Chocolate Mousse. I've got to try that.

    Carmen

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