Ricotta and chocolate torte with fresh strawberries

For the pastry

Ingredients

• 250 g plain flour
• 42 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 115 g butter
• 2 large eggs

Directions

In a food processor: Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in work bowl using the chopper blade. Pulse several times to mix.

Add butter or lard and pulse 8 to 10 times to mix. Add eggs and pulse again until dough forms a ball.

Remove from the mixer and knead gently to bring everything together. Split the dough into 2 balls and wrap each in cling film then refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (I make mine the night before I make the torte and leave it in the fridge overnight.)

When ready to use, take out of the fridge and knead the dough very gently for a minute or two to soften it, then roll one ball into a round shape big enough for your pie dish (I used a 12″ Pyrex flan dish) and lay the pastry inside. Don’t trim the edges, but set aside in the fridge ready for the filling. (See below)

For the filling

Ingredients

• 600 g fresh ricotta (strained to remove any water)
• 4 large eggs
• 2x 45 g Bournville chocolate bars
• 6 large strawberries
• 175 g caster sugar

Directions

Put the ricotta in a large bowl, then add the eggs one at a time folding them in very gently until all 4 eggs are incorporated, then add the sugar and mix gently. Chop strawberries, and then the chocolate with a sharp knife until it resembles large crumbs and fold them into the mixture, then tip it all into the pastry case.

Roll out the second ball of pastry to about 10″ around and trim the edges off into a square, then cut the square into ribbon sections and lay across the top of the torte in a lattice style. Pinch the edges all around and remove excess pastry.

Bake in the oven at 200°C for approx 40 minutes or until the torte is light brown, then set aside on a wire rack until the torte is cool enough to go into the fridge and leave overnight.