Gingerbread Tart

To prepare your gingerbread tart, start with the shortcrust pastry: gather the flour and brown sugar in a bowl, then add the unsweetened cocoa powder which will give color and aroma to the dough 1. Add the cubed butter 2 and the egg 3.

Also, add the honey 4, baking soda 5, and nutmeg 6.

Finally, flavor with the cinnamon 7 and ginger powder 8. Start mixing the ingredients with a spoon 9 or with a stand mixer paddle, then continue working with your fingertips.

When you have obtained a rough mixture 10, transfer it to the work surface and compact it with your hands 11, then flatten it slightly and wrap it in cling film. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours 12.

After the resting time, take the dough out, sprinkle the work surface with flour 13, and roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/6 - 1/5 inch 14. Cut out a disc slightly larger than the tart pan and gently roll it onto the rolling pin, then place it inside a 10-inch removable bottom tart pan 15.

Adhere the dough well to the edges and trim the excess 16. Prick the base with a fork to prevent it from swelling during baking 17 and bake it in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes, on the lower rack. Once cooked, take it out and let it cool. In the meantime, roll out the leftover dough again to a thickness of 1/6 - 1/5 inch and cut out gingerbread men using the appropriate cookie cutter 18.

Also, create other shapes as desired, such as snowflakes and stars, using cookie cutters of different sizes 19. Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper 20 and bake in a static oven at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. While the cookies bake, prepare the royal icing by pouring the icing sugar and egg white into a bowl 21.

Add a few drops of lemon 22 and turn on the electric beaters 23 until you get a white, shiny, and compact cream 34; it will take about 5-10 minutes.

Move on to the ganache: in a saucepan, heat the cream with a pinch of salt 25. Coarsely chop the dark chocolate 26 and add it to the hot cream as soon as it reaches a boil 27.

Stir with a whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth and velvety 28. Now recover the tart base that has cooled 30.

Fill the shortcrust shell with the jam 31, leveling it with a spoon. Pour the hot ganache on top 32, letting it drip and then gently leveling it 33.

Place the tart in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up. In the meantime, decorate the baked and cooled cookies with the icing, drawing outlines, buttons, lines, and snowflakes according to your imagination 35; let them dry at room temperature 36.

After the tart has firmed up 37, decorate it by arranging the cookies on the surface in a semicircle 38. Complete with cinnamon sticks, star anise, and sprinkles for a scenic and fragrant touch. Your gingerbread tart is ready to be served 39!