Preparation Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours, + at least 2 hours or overnight refrigeration

INGREDIENTS

Anzac Biscuit Tart Base

• 100 g butter
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 130 g wholemeal plain flour
• 75 g desiccated coconut
• 50 g instant oats
• 40 g dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Chocolate Crème Pâtissière

• 625 mL whole milk
• 5 large fresh egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons cornflour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 250 g good quality dark chocolate
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted
• 45 g unsalted butter, cubed

To Decorate

• 27(ish) large fresh strawberries (about 2 x 250 g punnets)
• 2 tablespoons raspberry jam
• icing sugar, for dusting

METHOD

Anzac Biscuit Tart Base

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F fan-forced. Grease a 23 cm/9 inch tart tin with butter. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt together the butter, golden syrup and vanilla.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and make a well in the centre. Pour the butter mixture into the well, and stir dough to thoroughly combine. Use your fingers to rub the wet ingredients into the dry if needed.
3. Press the dough evenly into the base of the tart tin and up the sides. Gently slice of any excess from the sides with a sharp knife.
4. Bake the tart base on the oven’s centre rack for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. The tart base will appear very soft when it comes out of the oven, but it will crisp up as it cools.

Chocolate Crème Pâtissière

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the milk gently to the boil, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan off the heat, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornflour and vanilla to form a smooth paste. Melt the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
2. Pour 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, and whisk quickly to combine and temper the egg yolks. This process exposes them to a little heat, and prevents them from scrambling later.
3. Pour the rest of the milk into the egg yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly to combine. Once all of the milk has been added, place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk constantly and vigorously for 2 minutes until the mixture comes to the boil. Make sure you whisk from the bottom of the pan, to prevent the crème from burning. Continue whisking for another 2 minutes until the crème thickens like custard, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
4. Whisk in the salt. Whisk the cocoa powder into the melted chocolate, then pour this into the crème and whisk well to combine. Let the crème cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in the cubes of butter, one at a time.
5. Allow the crème to cool for another 10-15 minutes until just warm, then pour into the cooled tart shell and refrigerate for 15 minutes while you prepare the strawberries. This should allow the crème to cool and thicken slightly so that the strawberries don’t sink, but don’t refrigerate it for too long before pressing in the strawberries, or the crème will completely set.

To Decorate

1. Wash and hull the strawberries. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the raspberry jam just to loosen it slightly.
2. Press the strawberries, cut side down, into the cooled crème. Use a pastry brush to lightly paint each of the strawberries with a little raspberry jam, just to give them a shine. Try to avoid the raspberry seeds.
3. Refrigerate the tart for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. Immediately before serving, dust generously with icing sugar.

Store the tart covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.