Benjamina Ebuehi's 'no bake' chocolate and dulce de leche tart
Great British Bake Off alumni Benjamina Ebuehi is making her debut in our kitchen today, with a delicious recipe - but you don't need a Hollywood handshake to whip this one up! It's 'no-bake' so anyone can give it a go - all that's needed here is melting, mixing and chilling and before you know it, you'll have a real showstopper!
Benjamina Ebuehi’s Crispy Chocolate and Dulce de Leche Tart
Serves: 12
Ingredients
For the base: 80g dark chocolate20g unsalted butter65g cocoa pop cerealPinch of fine sea salt
For the filling:200g dulce de leche 100g milk chocolate, finely chopped100g dark chocolate, finely chopped220ml double cream2 small cinnamon sticks
To finish: Flaky sea salt Caramelised cereal crunch, optional (recipe below)
Method
1. To make the base, add the chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Stir gently until melted (alternatively melt in short bursts in the microwave).
2. Tip in the cereal and salt and give it a good stir until coated. Spoon into a 20cm/8” round loose-bottom cake pan and use the back of a spoon to press it down. Chill the base in the fridge for 20 minutes, or until firm.
3. Once the base is chilled, spoon and spread the dulce de leche on top of the base, leaving a 5mm (approx) border around the edges. Place it back in the fridge.
4. To make the ganache, add all the chopped chocolate to a bowl. Put the cream and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan and heat until steaming but not boiling. (If you have time, remove from the heat and let the cinnamon infuse in the cream for 15 minutes, then remove the cinnamon sticks and reheat the cream until hot again.)
5. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 30 seconds, then slowly stir the ganache until smooth and silky. If there are still some unmelted bits of chocolate, palace the bowl over a pan of simmering water and let it heat gently until unmelted.
6. Bring the base out of the fridge, and pour the ganache on top of the dulce de leche layer. Return to the fridge and chill for 2-3 hours, until fully set.
7. Top with flaky sea salt and some caramelised cereal crunch (if using).
Top tips:
- To get clean slices when serving, dip a sharp knife into hot water before slicing.
- Make up to 1 day ahead - any longer and the base will start to soften.
Caramelised Cereal Crunch
Makes enough for 8-12 servings
Ingredients
90g caster (superfine) sugar25ml water70g cereal of choice, crushed 20g unsalted butter ½ tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to finish
Method
1. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Add the sugar and water to a wide, shallow saucepan and heat gently until melted. Tip in the cereal and stir to coat. Continue stirring until the sugar looks crystallised (it will look like it’s gone wrong, but keep stirring, the sugar will turn dry and sandy).
3. After about 2-4 minutes the sugar will begin to melt again and turn a golden colour. Continue stirring to evenly coat the cereal, then add the butter and salt.
4. Once the cereal is coated and has turned a deep amber colour, remove from the heat and tip it onto the lined baking tray.
5. Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top and let it cool completely and firm up.
6. Once cool, break the cereal up into smaller pieces and store in an airtight container.
Recipes taken from I’ll Bring Dessert by Benjamina Ebuehi