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Happy weekend everyone!

We’ve had such hectic weeks lately, both at work and out of work that The Boy and I haven’t had the time to catch up with each other. Luckily we are so comfortable with our silence and grumpiness that it doesn’t affect our relationship much (she says ><).

With my new-found passion for baking, it’s been killing me that I haven’t been able to do any or much baking at all. However, The Boy being the clever genius he is has taken matters into his own hands when it comes to serving something dessert-ish at the dining table.

He dislikes baking as much as I used to, so he will do anything (even if it’s easier to just bake a cake) to get out of the baking process.

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Which is where his ‘No-Bake Chocolate Tart’ comes in handy. Not only do you get out of baking with this recipe, it’s actually quite easy to follow and man were they delectable!

Catching on the recent fig trend (and season) which got all my baking friends (chiefly Thanh and Wince) (and non-friends “we can be fig friends!”) going crazy with their oven, The Boy decided that he’d throw in his 2 bob but without the required necessity of baking.

However, he didn’t want to make any chocolate tart, he wanted it to be special. So we used Valrhona’s Grand Cru 64% chocolate for the tart. With its fresh and tangy flavours, we thought it’d pair really well with the honeyed grilled figs.

Manjari chocolates are usually paired with red or yellow fruits such as berries, but we thought we would step it up a notch with figs as its sweetness would cut through the natural tartness and acidity from the chocolate. 

Tasting the Manjari chocolate on its own is a whole different ball-game. For a full tasting note and review of the Manjari chocolate, visit the Valrhona website.

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No-Bake ‘Manjari 64%’ Chocolate Tarts with Honeyed Grilled Figs Recipe

Ingredients

  • 140 g of Valrhona Manjari 64% Grand Cru Chocolate (chopped)
  • 60 g Milk Chocolate (chopped)
  • 200 g of Shortbread Biscuits
  • 100 g of Unsalted Butter (cubed)
  • 200 ml of Thickened Cream
  • 2 Tbsp of Icing Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp of Golden Syrup
  • 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
  • 3 Figs (quartered)
  • 2 Tbsp Honey
  • Cocoa Powder & Icing Sugar (to garnish)

Instructions

  • Using a food processor, pulse the shortbread biscuits until you get fine crumbs.
  • In a small saucepan, stir golden syrup and butter together over low heat until butter melts. Pour the mixture into the food processor (with biscuit crumbs) and pulse to combine.
  • Prepare a few 10-cm/12-cm loose-bottomed tart pans. Press the biscuit mixture into the base and sides of each pan. Place in refrigerator to chill.
  • Place both types of chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt over a pot of boiling water. Set aside to cool.
  • Once cooled, mix in the vanilla extract and fold in icing sugar.
  • Whip the thickened cream until you get soft peaks and fold into your chocolate mixture.
  • Pour mixture into your tart pans and place back into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set.
  • Heat your griller and place figs (cut-side down) to grill until caramelised. This should take only a few seconds each side.
  • Pour honey over caramelised figs and set aside.
  • When ready to serve, sprinkle chocolate tarts with cocoa powder and icing sugar, and top with 2 quartered honeyed figs.

Notes

You can replace the honeyed grilled figs with any seasonal fruits available.

[Recipe adapted from Taste.com.au’s No-bake Chocolate Tarts]

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Don’t you just want to pop the whole thing in your mouth? 

Say, “Aaaahhhhuuuummmmmm”! Nom nom nom!

Not only do the figs pair well with the tanginess from the Manjari chocolate, the aftertaste of hazelnuts and toasted almonds from it that lingers on the palate was surprisingly good.

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I must say I had my doubts when he suggested making these chocolate tarts. I didn’t think the sweetened figs would work at all with the chocolate filling (ate my words!) and I didn’t think the base of the tart would hold at all, but hey! I was and still am to be proven wrong. Especially when there are delicious delicacies awaiting me at the end.

These Manjari Chocolate Tarts aren’t meant to be eaten quickly. Each mouthful is meant to take its time. Each taste is meant to be a divine experience.

Hope you enjoy them!

So tell me lovelies, what have you done above and beyond to get yourself out of doing something you hate?