Chocolate, Lavender, Blueberry Tart

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Recipe's preparation

Shortcrust Pastry

1.Place the sugar and the lemon rind into the Thermomix bowl. Mill 10 sec/Speed 9. Add the flour and butter and process for 10 sec/speed 6 or until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and vanilla and knead 10-20 seconds or until the dough just comes together.
2. Using the Thermomat or a lightly floured surface bring the dough together to form a ball. Flatten & wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 mins to rest. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
3. Roll pastry, using a rolling pin, on a lightly floured surface, to be 3mm thick. and press into a large round tart shell.
4. Place back into the fridge for a 30 minutes to chill.
5. Place a small piece of baking paper over the pastry and fill the case with pie weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool before taking the pie weights out of the case. Set aside until ready to use.

Chocolate Lavender Filling

1. Place the coconut milk and lavender into the mixing bowl of the Thermomix and heat 5 Mins/50°/Speed 2. If you have time you can place in the fridge and leave in the fridge overnight to really absorb the lavender flavours. Strain the coconut milk and discard the lavender then set aside.
2. If you need to roast the nuts, place onto a baking tray and roast for 10-15 minutes on 180°C. Let cool before using your hands to rub the nuts together to get rid of the skins.
3. Place the hazelnuts into the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients along with the reserved lavender coconut milk and cook 2 Mins/50°/Speed 3.
5. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell, (reserving 4 Tbsp to pipe on the top) and set in the fridge for 30 mins.

Meringues

1. Preheat the oven to 35ºC to 40ºC. (You are just dehydrating, so you want the temperature really low so they keep their colour!)
2. To make the meringues, place the raw sugar into the Thermomix and mill 20 Sec/Speed 9. Set aside.
3. Clean and thoroughly dry the mixing bowl before placing the butterfly whisk into the Thermomix. Add the egg whites, pinch of salt and whip 2 Mins/Speed 3. Add the sugar gradually and whip 5 Mins/37º/Speed 3 or until your mixture forms stiff peaks and the sugar is fully dissolved!
4. With a plain round piping nozzle pipe onto your baking trays lined with baking paper.
5. Place them into the oven to dry for approximately 3-4 hours. (Depending on your oven, you may wish to leave the oven door slightly ajar. Keep an eye on your meringues as you don't want the to lose their beautiful white colour.) You can then leave them in the oven overnight to completely dry out.

Hazelnut & Cacao Bliss Balls

1. Place 80g hazelnuts into the Thermomix and chop 15-20 Sec/Speed 4. Set aside in a shallow bowl for rolling.
2. Place the remaining 60g of the hazelnuts into the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9.
3. Add the oil, milk, maple, cacao powder, vanilla, salt and dates and cook 2 Mins/50°/Speed 3.
4. Add the almond meal and process 10 Sec/Speed 4-5/Reverse.
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill. Once chilled the mixture will be much easier to roll.
6. Take small spoonfuls of the chilled mixture and roll into balls. Finish by rolling in the hazelnut crumbs and refrigerate until firm.

Assembly

To assemble the tart, place the bliss balls on the tart and arrange the raspberries & blueberries over the tart. Using a star shaped piping nozzle delicately pipe the leftover ganache filling in the spaces over the tart. Place a couple of little dried lavender flowers on the piped ganache. Delicately top with the meringues and some fresh violets and your tart is finally complete!