This easy, delicious tart is so luscious — dark, fruity and messy, and perfect as a Christmas dessert. It’s not difficult to make, with nothing too technical, just take it step by step, and be patient waiting for the components to cool. Start by making the meringue disk, then the orange curd, so they are ready when you come to assemble.

Chocolate Orange Meringue Tart

Meringue disk

Ingredients

100gr egg white

200gr caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

• Draw a circle on a sheet of parchment. About 9 ½ inches in diameter.
• For the meringue disk, place the egg whites in a large, clean bowl of an electric mixer and whisk them until they just form stiff peaks (it’s very important not to over-whisk the egg whites because, if you do, they will start to collapse).
• Now start to whisk in the sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition until all the sugar is in.
• Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth, thick and glossy.
• Next whisk in the vanilla extract.
• Fill the meringue into a piping bag, it doesn’t matter if you have a plain or star nozzle, just not too big. Pipe a thin disk of meringue 9 ½ inches in diameter.
• Bake at 100C for 1½ to 2 hours until dry through.
• You will get extra meringue from this, but it’s harder to make a tiny amount of meringue — so you can cook an extra disk or so for with cream and berries.

Orange curd

Ingredients

132gr sugar

80gr corn flour

150ml orange juice

2 free range eggs mixed together

38gr butter

1 tbsp grated orange zest

Method:

• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the sugar and corn flour, whilst still whisking add the orange juice.
• Next, add the eggs and whisk together, then pour into a medium sized heavy based saucepan.
• Bring to boil over a low heat, stirring all the time.
• Simmer for 1-2 minutes until thickened, again stirring all the time.
• Once cooked, remove from the heat, next whisk in the butter and orange zest.
• Once thickened, scrape into a clean container to cool.
• Place cling film directly onto the curd to prevent a skin from forming.

Base

Ingredients

250gr digestive biscuit

45gr chocolate chips

90gr melted butter

Method:

• Line base of 10 inch loose bottomed tart tin with a disk of parchment and butter the sides of the ring.
• Next prepare the biscuit base.
• Crush the biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin or use a food processor.
• Melt the butter and chocolate over a Bain Marie of barely trembling water.
• Mix the melted chocolate and butter with the digestive and press firmly into the sides and then the base of the tin.
• Bake at 150C for 10 minutes.
• Once baked, you will notice the base has puffed up a little allow to cool then press down again, and press into the sides with the back of a spoon.

Chocolate Orange Ganache

Ingredients

125ml cream

100 dark chocolate (drops or small pieces)

10gr butter

1 tsp finely grated orange zest

Method:

• Place the chocolate in a shallow bowl. Bring the cream and zest to the boil and pour onto the chocolate. Allow to sit for a minute or two then stir until the chocolate is melted and mixture smooth.
• Next stir in the butter, until smooth.
• Chill in fridge, stirring occasionally until it reaches a smooth consistency and thickens slightly.
• Pour half onto the biscuit base spreading carefully. Top with the disk of meringue. Then cover with the remaining chocolate ganach.
• Chill until set. Once set fill with the orange curd and chill again.
• Finally, prepare the Italian meringue.

Italian Meringue

Ingredients

200g (or ¾ cup) granulated sugar

90ml (or ¼ cup) water

90g free range egg whites (about 3 medium egg whites)

Method:

• In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Heat over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
• Once the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat to medium-high and allow the syrup to come to a boil.
• In the meantime, add the egg whites to a medium-sized, heatproof bowl and mix (with a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) until foamy and the whites are almost able to hold soft peaks.
• Once syrup is boiling, cook until it reaches 116C (use a sugar thermometer, then take the pan off the heat and slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the bowl with the foamy egg whites, mixing continuously to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
• Don’t pour the syrup onto the whisk, or the syrup may splatter against the sides of the bowl.
• Once all the syrup has been added, keep mixing until the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch and the meringue has cooled down to body temperature.
• Pipe over surface of the orange curd, then colour under a very hot pre heated grill of use a blowtorch.
• Serve with whipped cream. Yum.