Raspberry Tahini Ganache Tart

This tart is a sweet tooth's dream. A crisp layer of cinnamon shortcrust pastry tart is filled with raspberry jam and a creamy tahini white chocolate ganache filling. It's sweet but also incredibly moreish at the same time! And a little tip: this is wonderful frozen too!

Like a lot of my recipes, this one came to me during a daydream. I had never tasted tahini ganache but figured that tahini is both a sweet or savoury ingredient so it might work but I didn't actually anticipate how well it would work. I'm hoping that you'll all try making this dessert or even the tahini ganache one day. It's about as sweet as a jam slices or an Iced Vovo so it's not tooth achingly sweet.

I made this tart during the recent Australia Day long weekend. It was done in parts. One day I baked the tart case (and screwed it up, you may see this if you look closely or with a critical eye). The next day I filled it and then left it to set for the rest of the day before photographing it.

"I don't like tahini," Mr NQN said but then proceeded to inhale the tart. Even Teddy was smitten by this tart. I was photographing it and walking back from the lounge room where this was sitting to the kitchen grabbing things for the photograph. I usually give Teddy a dog treat while I am photographing things so that he doesn't pester for food because he adores human food (he's only had it twice as we're strict food parents). As he was fast asleep I didn't bother disturbing him.

When I walked into the lounge room I saw Teddy sniffing dangerously close to this tart. Chocolate is toxic for dogs (although white chocolate only contains trace amounts of theobromine, the toxic component). "TEDDY!!!" I exclaimed. Teddy jumped up onto the couch and posed as though nothing was amiss. His body language was that of a dog that had been doing nothing but lounging about. He'd managed to pilfer one raspberry which had stained a bit of his mouth red but otherwise our cheeky little puppy was intact.

Because of this little distraction I forgot to add one of the key ingredients - some crushed sesame candy to add a nice crunch. Perhaps you'll be much wiser than I and distract all that may wander in and try to steal a piece of this tart!

So tell me Dear Reader, are you often interrupted or distracted by things? Do you like recipes that can be done in stages over a few days or would you rather get it all done at once?

Raspberry Tahini Ganache Tart

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 45 minutes plus chilling time (this can be made in stages)

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Cinnamon shortcrust pastry

• 135g/4.8ozs. butter, softened
• 1/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1.5 cups plain all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornflour/fine cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

For Filling and decoration
- 400g/14ozs raspberry jam (low sugar) - 425g white chocolate - 180ml cream - 2 tablespoons tahini - Fresh raspberries and 50g/1.7ozs of crushed hard sesame candy* to decorate

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 190C/374F. Make the pastry first. Place the butter, icing sugar, two types of flour and salt in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on very slow speed until it has just come together. It will be very soft. Press into a 23cm loose bottomed tart tin on the base and sides. Prick the base with a fork and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. This prevents the base from shrinking once baked. Then bake for 20 minutes until golden and crisp.

Step 2 - Spread the raspberry jam on the base of the pastry and set aside. Process the cream with the tahini until smooth and then heat in a double boiler with the white chocolate until melted (do not stir too much). Allow the mixture to cool a little until thicker in texture and then pour over the jam. Allow to set firm in the fridge. Top with fresh raspberries (I rolled some in caster or superfine sugar).