Chocolate pear and ginger tarts

Chocolate pear and ginger tarts

From the kitchen of  LIZ2002

servings |  6
estimated Points® per serving | 6

For pastry:
* 200g butter or margarine
* 200g plain white flour
* 1 level tablespoon ground ginger

For filling:
* 3 ripe pears, peeled and halved
* 200g fine milk chocolate
* 2 large free range eggs
* 200g butter or margarine
* 100g caster sugar
* 200g self-raising white flour

For pastry:
* Sift flour and ginger into a bowl and cut the butter into small pieces
* Rub the butter into the flour mixture until breadcrumb consistency is achieved
* Add a tablespoon of cold water to the mixture and mix together with a palette knife
* Handling as little as possible, make a ball with the pastry mixture, wrap in clingfilm and pop into the fridge for 30 mins

For the filling:
* Cream the butter and sugar
* Beat in the eggs
* Melt the chocolate in a pyrex dish placed over a pan of boiling water
* Add the chocolate in small amounts to the eggs/butter/flour mixture, stirring constantly
* Sift flour into the mixture and beat well

To assemble:
* Roll out pastry on a floured surface until about 1/2cm thick
* Using 5" cutters, cut out tart bases
* Spray 5" tart tins with low-fat cooking oil spray, and then place the pastry in them
* Place half a peeled, ripe pear inside each pastry case
* Spoon chocolate mixture over until it reaches the top of, but does not cover, the pear half
* Cook in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 4/180C for 20 minutes
* Cool and remove from tins before serving