Sharon Hearne Smith Valentine’s Delights

• 50g unsalted butter
• 100g double chocolate digestive biscuits
• 3 tbsp shelled green pistachios
• 100g milk chocolate
• 50ml double cream
• Pinch of sea salt
• 12 fresh raspberries
• Essential kit: 12-hole mini muffin tin 12 mini paper muffin cases

Method:

1. Line the tin with cases, and line a small tray with parchment paper.

2.Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Blitz the biscuits and 2 tablespoons of the pistachios in a food processor, or seal in a food bag and bash with a rolling pin, until you have fine crumbs and finely crushed nuts. Stir into the melted butter to coat well, and divide evenly between the cases. Press the crumbs firmly into the base and up the sides, cover with cling film and chill for about 1 hour, until set firm.

3.About 15 minutes before the cases are ready, prepare the filling. Snap the chocolate into a medium heatproof bowl and add the cream. Either melt in the microwave in 30-second blasts, stirring between each go, or over a pan of simmering water, shallow enough that the water doesn’t touch the bowl. Once melted, stir until smooth and add the sea salt. Leave to cool to body temperature.

4.Use the tip of a pointed knife to lift the tarts carefully out of the tin. Gently peel the paper cases away and arrange on the tray. Spoon the filling equally between them and chill for 15 minutes or until the filling is set. These can be prepared a day in advance.

5.When ready to serve, arrange on a pretty tiered cake stand. Sit a raspberry, pointy side up in the centre of each one. Roughly chop the remaining tablespoon of pistachios and scatter over.

6.For an added twist . . .  Top with a cherry or strawberry instead of a raspberry. If you prefer white chocolate check out Sharon’s recipe here

Sharon Hearne-Smith has two decades of experience working with food in the media as a food stylist and writer on high profile cookbooks, food magazines and TV cookery shows. She has worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Jamie Oliver, Neven Maguire, Rachel Allen, Donal Skehan, Lorraine Pascale, James Martin, and on BBCs Ready, Steady, Cook. Sharon’s first book, No-Bake Baking, was published by Quercus in 2014 and her second, The No-Cook Cookbook in 2016. Sharon is an Ambassador for SuperValu’s Home Baking range and their Good Food Karma Campaign and also cooks regularly on RTE’s Today show.

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