Gregg Wallace's white chocolate cherry tart recipe

White chocolate and cherry is a fantastic combination. Sweet, almost wine-like, cherry juice against sugary white chocolate encased in a cinnamon pastry. Delicious!

Ingredients

Biscuit base

• 175g (6oz) digestive biscuits, crushed
• 75g (3oz) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

Filling

• 1kg (2lb) full-fat soft cheese
• 275g (9oz) caster sugar
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 40g (11⁄2oz) plain flour, sifted
• 300ml (1⁄2pint) soured cream
• finely grated rind of 1 lemon
• fresh or drained canned strawberries, to decorate

Method

1. To make the pastry, sift the flour and cinnamon into a bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and add enough of the water to mix to a firm dough.
2. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Wrap in foil and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 23 x 2.5 cm (9 x 1 inch) deep loose-bottomed flan tin. Trim off the excess pastry around the rim. Line the tart case with foil, fill with baking beans and bake in a preheated oven, 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6, for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4.
4. Meanwhile, to make the filling, beat the eggs and sugar together in a bowl. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small, heavy-based saucepan, then pour over the chocolate and
5. stir until the chocolate has melted. Pour over the egg mixture, stirring constantly.
6. Pit the cherries, if using fresh, or thoroughly drain the canned cherries. Arrange in the flan case. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cherries.
7. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes until the chocolate cream is set. Dust with cinnamon and serve warm, decorated with extra cherries if you like.