Halloween Chocolate Meringue Ghosts

INGREDIENTS

CHOCOLATE PASTRY

• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
• Pinch cinnamon
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• Pinch salt
• 100g plain flour
• 75g cold butter, diced
• 1/8 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp. iced water

CHOCOLATE CUSTARD FILLING

• ½ cup cream
• 55g dark chocolate
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ tbsp caster sugar
• Sprinkle of cinnamon

SWISS MERINGUE

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp. corn flour
• Pinch cream of tartar
• Black food gel

DIRECTIONS

To make the chocolate pastry

1. Place the cocoa powder, cinnamon, icing sugar, salt, plain flour, cold butter and vanilla into the food processor. Process to resemble a fine breadcrumb. Whilst processing, add the water until the mixture forms a dough. Roll into a ball and flatten to a disc shape. Wrap in cling film and place into the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
2. Let the dough come to room temperature. Roll out and cut 6.5cm pastry rounds.
3. Place a small round of baking paper in the bottom of 12 mini muffin wells.
4. Line each mini muffin well with the chocolate pastry.
5. Pre-heat a fan forced oven to 160°C.
6. Blind bake the tarts by lining the pastry with a small piece of baking paper and filling with baking beads. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the baking beads and top piece of baking paper. Return the tarts to the oven for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.

To make the chocolate custard

7. Combine the cream, chocolate and milk in a saucepan and stir on a low heat until the chocolate is melted. Let cool.
8. Lightly whisk the eggs and sugar together. Gradually add the cream mixture and mix until completely combined. Pour the mixture through a sieve. Set aside.

To make the Swiss meringue

9. Bring 700ml of water to the boil then decrease to a light simmer.
10. Place the egg whites and sugar into a stainless steel bowl and place on top of the saucepan of boiling water. The bowl must not touch the water. Stir the egg whites and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the egg whites from the heat and discard the boiling water.
11. Place the egg whites into the bowl of a bench mixer and whisk for 5-10 minutes or until the meringue is glossy. Add the corn flour and cream of tartar and vanilla. Continue to whisk for a further 3 minutes. Place the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle.

Tart assembly

12. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.
13. Fill the tarts to the brim with the chocolate custard and place on the lower shelf of the oven for 5-7 minutes.
14. Bring the tarts out of the oven and pipe meringue on the top of the tarts to resemble a ghost. Place the tarts back into the oven for a further 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
15. Squeeze a little bit of black food gel onto a small saucer. Dip the end of a toothpick into the black food gel and then poke eyes onto the ghosts. Do the same for the mouth but hold the toothpick on a slant.
16. Keep in the fridge.
17. Serve.