Nici Wickes: Christmas Berry Tart

Christmas berry tart
This dessert is simple to make but a show-stopper to have on the Christmas table!
Serves 10-12
Chocolate pastry
225g (about 1.5 cups) plain flour
½ cup icing sugar
¼ cup + 1 tbsp ground almonds
2 heaped tbsps good quality cocoa
190g cold butter, diced
1 large egg yolk
Filling & topping
100mls cream
150g mascarpone
2 heaped tbsps crème fraiche
2 tbsps brown sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract
3 cups mixed fresh berries – blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
Edible flowers to garnish
Icing sugar for dusting

Lightly grease a 26cm tart tin.
To make the pastry:  Combine the flour, icing sugar, almond and cocoa in a food processor. Pulse to combine evenly. Add the diced butter and pulse until crumbly. Don’t over process at this stage. Drop in the egg yolk and pulse until the pastry just starts to come together. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and press together into a disc. Wrap in a plastic bag and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling out to line the tart tin. If it rips at all it, use the leftover pastry scraps to patch it back together. Prick all over with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.
Trim the pastry to form a neat edge - I usually just roll my rolling pin over the edge to cut through the pastry. Rest the lined tart tins in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180 C and place a tray in to preheat. Bake tart shell towards top of oven for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and cooked through. Leave to cool.
One hour before serving, whip cream until soft peak stage then add mascarpone, crème fraiche, brown sugar and vanilla and whip until smooth. Scrape into tart shell and them pile on blueberries, cut strawberries and raspberries. Chill until ready to serve.
Decorate with flowers and icing sugar to serve.

LISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE