Earl Grey Tea and Chocolate Tart

I feel like I never really learnt to appreciate days off until I became a chef. Yes, it is always lovely to have a little rest and realax but a free days never really rated as a big deal for me. Being a little bit of a workaholic I even found it stressful at times having free days with nothing planned to do. Now though I cant wait for my 'two days of treats.' They really never do seem to be as relaxing as I plan for them to be, but I appreciate them so much more now. 

So this is what I do..... without fail I will always bake some sweets. It might be a cake or a tart, or cupcakes. Then I will have a friend over for dinner, or maybe six friends over for dinner and we will drink a lot of wine. I will always go out to breakfast at least once. Usually I will go to a local cafe where I know all the staff, other times one of my best friends will drive around and pick me up, so he and I can go try somewhere new. There will be a lot of coffee involved. As in multipal trips to cafes 'just for one more coffee' or I'll brew a large pot of coffee and drink it in bed while I read cooking magazines. I will talk to my parents. We may chat on the phone for half an hour to an hour, and I'll tell me mum about my dating life, a boy who I might like, a boy who I dont like, or no boy at all. She will offer simple solutions to simple problems such as "why dont you just call him?" And I will jokingly rage at her saying "I cant just call him! He will think I like him....even though I do. Things have changed mum! Things have changed. One doesn't just call someone." Then I will consider her advice.....and call the person. I will watch a movie in bed and not care that usually at this time of day I would have normally baked at least 20 cakes at work. 

Days of are really just bliss. I do adore them.

I made this recipe on a day off....Its incredibly good.

Earl Grey Tea and Chocolate Tart

For The Pastry:

• 280g plain flour
• 20g coco
• 200g butter
• 100g of icing sugar
• 2 eggs

For The Filling:

• 300g of dark chocolate
• 350ml of cream
• 100 ml of milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 whole eggs
• 4 tablespoons of loose leaf earl grey tea 

What to do:

1. First of all the pastry! Rub together the sugar butter and flower with your fingertips until it resembles almond meal or bread crumbs. This can be done by hand, with a paddle attachment of a kitchen aid or in a food processor. I like to use my fingers because its a good time to stop and think.

2. Add the eggs and mix to incorporate. What ever you do, dont overmix! The dough should be smooth, but you dont want to knead it too much or it will shrink when it is baked.

3. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and place in the fridge to rest for half an hour.

4. Once the dough has rested roll out on a floured bench and use to line a circle tart tin. Once the tin has been lined place it back in the fridge for another forty minutes to rest. 

5. Remove pastry from fridge and prick all over with a fork. Line the tin with some baking paper and add baking weights. Bake for 15 minutes at 180 and then remove the weights. Bake for a further 5 minutes and then remove from the oven.

6. To make the filling place the cream and tea in a pot and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat and leave the tea to infuse. 

7. Once the tea has infused for 15 minutes bring the cream back to the boil.

8. Strain the tea from the cream (and discard).

9. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate. Stir so that all the chocolate melts.

10. Add the milk and mix

11. Lightly beat eggs and then add to the mixture.

12. Pour the chocolate mix into the tart shell and bake at 140 for 20 to 30 minutes or until the edges are slightly firm looking but there is still a wobble in the middle of the tart. 

13. Allow to cool and then remove from the tin.