Ingredients

Spiced pecans

1 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp chipotle chilli powder or pinch chilli powder

180g pecans

Biscuit base

250g chocolate biscuits

100g unsalted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

Filling

300ml cream

300g dark chocolate, broken into squares

80g Mexican chocolate, chopped

80g unsalted butter, room temperature, chopped

3 eggs

¼ tsp chipotle chilli powder

½ tsp cinnamon

Chocolate icing

200ml cream

200g dark chocolate, broken into squares

Whipped cream, to serve, optional

Method

1.

To make spiced pecans; preheat oven to 160°C. Combine butter, sugar, cinnamon, salt and chilli powder in a bowl. Add pecans and stir until combined. Spread nuts on an oven tray and roast for 15-20 minutes until beginning to colour. Cool. These can be made 2 days in advance.

2.

To make biscuit base; put biscuits in a food processor and process to form crumbs. Add butter and cinnamon and process until combined. Tip mixture into the base of a 28cm round fluted quiche tin with removable base. Use the base of a straight sided glass to spread mixture over base and up the sides. Refrigerate.

3.

To make filling; preheat oven to 160°C. Put cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Put dark and Mexican chocolate in a heatproof bowl with butter. Pour in hot cream and stir until melted and smooth.

4.

Whisk in eggs, chilli powder and cinnamon until combined. Put tart shell onto a large oven tray. Pour chocolate mixture into tart shell. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tart is set but still has a wobbly centre. Cool.

5.

To make icing; put cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour in hot cream and stir until melted and smooth. Spread icing evenly over top of tart. Set in fridge for 2 hours. Arrange some of the pecans in the icing. Set in fridge again for 2 hours or until ready to serve. Serve with remaining pecans and whipped cream if desired.

Tip: This tart can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Recipe Kerrie Worner

With over 20 years in magazines, Kerrie’s work has adorned HB’s pages as contributing food editor, along with BHG, Elle Cuisine, Australian Women’s Weekly and Family Circle. “It is so important to encourage people to learn simple food skills so they can learn how easy it is to fall in love with their creative side,” she says.