Romance of days gone by

Happy Valentines day everyone. It is officially after midnight here in Melbourne so I hope I am the first to wish you a good day. I hope you get to spend it with someone special, or if your doing a Bridget Jones, I hope your doing it in style, with good food and a great movie.

The other day my dad was going through some old papers and found some old envelopes that happened to be letters that he and my mum had written to each other many years ago. He wouldn't let me read them, so it must have been good reading. Anyway today I pulled them out to use in this next shoot (don't worry I didn't read them), after all whats more romantic than a love letter written over forty years ago. My Parents celebrate there 43rd Wedding Anniversary at the end of March(so don't forget Dad).

My Father lived in England and Mum was from a little country on the other side of the world, New Zealand. My Dad worked at sea and on one particular journey, he walked into a small pub in New Zealand, where my mum planted eyes on him and said to her friend, I'm going to marry that man. And within the year they were married. They only knew each other in person for two weeks, the rest of that year my dad spent at sea, so there were lots of letters back and forth. It seems so very romantic, good old fashioned love letters. 

Chocolate Tarts

Pastry

1 1/2 cups flour

250 g butter

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder (dutch)

Filling

100g dark chocolate 

50g butter 

1/4 cup sugar 

1/4 cup cream 

1 egg  

Place the flour, sugar, cocoa and butter in to a food processor and pulse until combined. Then add the egg and pulse again until a dough starts to forms. Remove from the processor, and kneed on a floured surface until just smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour. 

Remove from the fridge and roll out of a floured surface until about 2mm thick, then place into tart tins. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove the beans and place back in the oven for a further 10minutes.

While the pastry is cooking prepare the filling. Place the chocolate and butter into a saucepan and heat until they melt and combine. Remove from the heat and stir through the sugar and cream. Wait for the mixture to cool slightly then stir through the egg. 

Pour the mixture into the tart cases and place back into the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are just cooked and the centre is a little wobbly.