These decadent chocolate tarts feature native Australian macadamias and local honey making them the perfect treat for any special celebration.  The hard part is waiting the two hours for the mousse to set before enjoying them!

Ingredients

400g King Valley unsalted butter, softened
2 vanilla beans, split, seeds scraped
220g pure icing sugar, sifted
3 1/3 cups (500g) plain flour
4 egg yolks
6 figs, halved
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
Roasted chopped macadamias and runny local honey, to serve

Chocolate Mousse

215g dark (70%) chocolate, chopped
360ml thickened cream
3 eggs
70g caster sugar

Method

For the pastry, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk butter, vanilla seeds and icing sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add flour and yolks, and whisk on low to form a dough.  Halve, shape into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 170°C.  Grease twelve 10cm fluted loose-bottomed tart cases.

Roll out pastry rounds between two pieces of floured baking paper to 4mm thick.  Using a 12cm cookie cutter, cut rounds and line base and side of tart cases, trimming excess pastry.  Freeze for 30 minutes or until very firm.  Place on a baking tray and bake, carefully pressing pastry base down and sides out with a clean tea towel halfway, for 15 minutes or until golden.

For the mousse, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water) and stir until melted.  Set aside.  In a second bowl, whisk cream to soft peaks and set aside.  Place eggs and sugar in a clean heatproof bowl set over saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly for 4 minutes or until pale and thick.  Remove from heat and, in 2 batches, fold melted chocolate into egg mixture, then fold through cream until combined.

Divide mousse among cooled tart shells and chill for 2 hours or until set.

Heat a frypan over high heat until hot.  Dip cut side of figs into caster sugar and, in batches, cook, cut-side down, for 1-2 minutes or until caramelised.

Remove tarts from cases.  Top with figs, scatter with macadamias and drizzle with honey to serve.

Recipe by Joanna Barrett. Photography by delicious.com.au