So, Bake Off is over, but I still have two GBBO-inspired bakes to share on the blog. Life is always hectic in November, and this year hasn’t been any different. But, I did get there in the end. I’ve done both bakes, and will post the Finale-inspired bake in the next few days.

But for now, let’s go back to Semi-Final week. The theme was patisserie, the delicate, desserts that fill display cases at fancy bakeries, cafes and patisseries (funny that).

I knew the easiest thing to do from the three challenges would be a tartlet of some kind. However, in the Signature Bake challenge, the bakers had to create a tartlet with a semi-sphere/dome on the top, which requires a very particular mold. One I don’t have. So I opted for a slightly less elaborate, but equally as delicate tart.

My first attempt at these did not end well because the filling did not set, not even after 24 hours in the fridge. So for my second attempt, I used gelatin. If you’re vegetarian, use agar agar instead, or vegetarian-friend gelatin.

The truth is you can use any kind of chocolate for this filling, I just wanted to try the white chocolate as it contrasted so well with the dark brown chocolate pastry case and the green pistachios. You also don’t have to decorate them in a fancy manner like I did – it’s all just aesthetics really.

Ingredients

190 grams plain flour
20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
27 grams caster sugar
150 grams unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 large egg
pinch of salt
270 ml canned coconut milk
200 grams white chocolate
2 gelatin leafs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
20 grams pistachios, blitzed in the food processor

1. Blitz the flour, cocoa powder, caster sugar and pinch of salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles sand. Add egg and keep pulsing until the dough starts to come together (about 10 seconds).
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface bring together into a ball. Flatten the ball slightly, wrap in reusable cling-film and place in the fridge for at least an hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
4. Lightly flour four mini tartlet cases.
5. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit for a few minutes to soften. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until about 1/2 cm thick. Cut out the amount of dough needed for the mini tartlet cases, re-wrap the rest of the dough and place in the freezer for up to one month.
6. Gently press the pastry pieces into the tartlet pans, trimming off any extra dough.
7. Use baking paper or tin foil to tightly line the pastry of each tartlet, and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the foil comes away from the tart easily. Set aside to cool.
8. Place the two leaves of gelatin in a shallow bowl of water and allow to soak for 4 minutes.
9. Break the white chocolate up in a heat-proof bowl and set aside.
10. Place the coconut milk in a saucepan, and ground nutmeg and bring just to a boil. Stir through the gelatin, and then pour over the white chocolate. Allow to sit for a few minutes.
11. Stir the coconut milk and melted white chocolate together. Pour into the pastry cases and sprinkle with crushed pistachios. If you have excess filling, place into a ramekin and enjoy as a sort-of-panna-cotta.
12. Place in the fridge for 1 – 2 hours, until set. Enjoy.