As with wine and coffee, there has been an explosion of interest in the provenance of proper chocolate recently. More and more people are starting to understand how different 70 per cent Valrhona, say, is from a bar of Bournville. From the home cook’s point of view, this is fantastic because it means it’s no longer just the professional chefs who have access to chocolate with higher levels of cocoa solids. And believe me, when cooking with chocolate, it really is a case of getting out what you put in. Even when making something for children, I’ll always use high-quality. You can add more sugar or cream to make it more appealing to young tastebuds if you like, but to be honest, there’s no harm in getting them used to more adult tastes. If your children are anything like mine, they’ll get plenty of milk chocolate over the coming weeks anyway.

Chocolate and 
cardamom tart

Serves 8-10


Dark, bittersweet chocolate has 
a natural affinity with cardamom and this is clearly evident in this decadent tart. I prefer a strong flavour of cardamom, but you may want to use a little less if, 
like many people, you find the spice a little overpowering. Serve each slice of the tart with a dollop of tangy crème fraîche to contrast with the richness of the chocolate.

300g sweet dessert pastry


2 large free-range eggs, 
lightly beaten


400g dark chocolate, 
60 per cent cocoa solids


3-4 large cardamom 
pods, to taste


200ml whole milk

Salt


200ml double cream


2 tbsp runny honey

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