December 18, 2021
After Eight Tart!
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A delightful no-bake After Eight tart with a chocolate biscuit base, mint filling, chocolate ganache topping and after eights! Mint heaven.
Chocolate + mint = obsession!
I have mentioned a few times now how obsessed I am with the chocolate and mint combination… and I am not stopping anytime soon. I can only apologise if you don’t like anything mint themed, because you aren’t going to have enjoyed this festive season too much!
I wanted to make a delicious and showstopping no-bake dessert that would be ridiculously easy to make and create one of my absolute favourite recipes ever! Honestly, I can’t actually cope with how much I love this one?! Seriously!
After Eight tart
I took inspiration from many recipes for this absolute beauty, such as my no-bake biscoff tart, and my easter salted caramel tart – just with a bit of a mint after eight twist! The idea of the bake is to be a giant biscuit based after eight, and it works!!
I have genuinely made this dessert countless times over the last few weeks, and will be making it twice over Christmas itself – I genuinely love it that much! Something about the chocolatey base, topped with the world’s easiest mint filling, and the most delicious chocolate topping… Oh my days.
Tart base
For this recipe I used the same base as in my Baileys chocolate tart and billionaires tart because something about the cocoa powder mixed with digestives and butter creates the perfect base! I prefer the cocoa powder in the base compared to using chocolate digestives.
I tend to blitz my biscuits up to a fine crumb in a food processor, and then blitz again quickly with the cocoa powder. I then add the melted butter, and mix again. I then just tip all of the biscuit mixture into the tart tin.
If you did however want to use a chocolate digestive, you will want to use two thirds of the butter – using a biscuit with a filling, a ‘light’ alternative, or a chocolate coating requires less butter. You want the mixture to have enough butter though to combine with the biscuit crumbs and compress into the bottom and sides of the tart in.
Tin
I used this tart tin for this recipe, as I do with all my other tart recipes. I know I normally use 8”/20cm round tins for my cakes and cheesecakes, but using a 9”/23cm tart tin works so much better for the ratio of ingredients. It creates the perfect depth of dessert.
I start by pressing the biscuits into the side of the tin, making it about 5mm thick – but this is only rough. I find it easier to do the sides to make sure they are sturdy enough. You can then press the biscuit base into the bottom of the rest of the tin. I find it easiest to refrigerate the tart quickly at this point, whilst you do the rest of the tart. Just means you can let it set briefly to prevent accidentally ruining the biscuit base later.
Mint and chocolate filling
For the mint filling, it’s very similar to my mint slice filling – just without the colouring. I wanted it to literally look like the middle of an after eight, so I used icing sugar, water and peppermint extract. You really want to GRADUALLY add the water 1 tsp at a time, as you want the icing to be really thick and a paste; not runny!
For the chocolate filling, I used the same as my Easter salted caramel tart – because I just love it. A mixture of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, butter and cream! It’s quite a runny mixture once melted, but perfect.
The ratios for the ingredients perfectly fitted my tin, so if your mixture overflows you might have had a slightly more shallow tin, or not compress your biscuit base enough – if you are worried, you can pour the mint icing over the base, and then put the tart in the fridge. You could then pour the chocolate mix over the mint, in the fridge to prevent spilling it when you move the dessert.
Setting and decorate
Because the mixture is quite thin, it’s best to leave the tart to set for at least one hour, before you add the after eights. I used nearly an entire packet to decorate my tart as I wanted to go overkill – but you can obviously use less. I gently pressed them in, gently enough to not break the after eight.
Once set, you can carefully remove the tin (always best to use the one I recommend as it’s a loose bottomed tin) – and then serve! You can add the fresh mint for decoration if you fancy, and even some sprinkles or chocolate curls but that is just for the look. ENJOY!!! x
After Eight Tart!
Ingredients
Biscuit Crust
- 300 g digestives
- 25 g cocoa powder
- 100 g unsalted butter
Filling
- 250 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 1-2 tbsp water
Ganache
- 300 ml double cream
- 125 g dark chocolate
- 125 g milk chocolate
- 50 g unsalted butter
Decoration
- 1 packet after eights
- Fresh mint
- Sprinkles/chocolate curls
Instructions
Biscuit base
- Using a food processor, blitz all of the biscuits to a fine crumb and add the cocoa powder.
- Add in the melted butter and mix until it is a wet sand texture.
- Press this into the sides and base of a 23cm pie/flan/quiche tin (mine was 3cm deep).
- I press into the sides first, then the base. Refrigerate for now.
Filling
- In a bowl, add the icing sugar and peppermint essence
- And enough water, 1 tsp at a time, until it forms a thick paste – spread across the biscuit base carefully.
Ganache
- In a heatproof pan, add your double cream and heat until just before boiling point.
- In a separate bowl, add the milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and unsalted butter and pour on the hot double cream. Whisk together until smooth!
- If the chocolate is still slightly not melted, heat for 10 second bursts in the microwave until combined well. Alternatively, add all ingredients to a large bowl and microwave/whisk until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate mixture onto the mint filling and refrigerate for an hour.
Decoration
- After the hour, carefully decorate with the after eights. You want the ganache to be starting to firm, but not be completely set. This is so that they don't sink, but also soft enough that they stick.
- Set again for another hour or two until set.
- Add on some fresh mint leaves, and chocolate curls/sprinkles. Enjoy.
Notes
- This dessert will last in the fridge for 3 days, covered.
- If you want to use all dark chocolate, use 200g!
- If you want to use all milk chocolate, use 350g!
- I used this tart tin
- I used this dark chocolate
- I used this milk chocolate
- I used this peppermint extract
- You can use as many or as few after eights - I used nearly an entire packet!
- If you want a regular biscuit base, remove the cocoa powder.
ENJOY!
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J x
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I’m thinking of using gluten-free biscuits? Would this be the same?
Yes, it should be! Maybe add less butter to begin with when making the base x
Do you grease the tin as I have trouble getting mine off of the base.
Thanks
Hi. I want to make this with white chocolate. What would the measurements be fir the ganache
I tried to make this but the filling would not set. Left it overnight in the fridge still running the next day.?
Hiya – this means you have likely added too much water so it won’t set fully. x
Hi Jane,
Could I make this using a mint chocolate, like the Cadburys dairy mint and not have the mint icing layer?
Hiya! I personally have not tried this however it’s definitely worth a go – though I wouldn’t use cadburys as its harder to melt! Hope this helps x
I want to make this for Christmas but due to being busy time is limited would this be ok in A airtight container or even in the tin covered up in the freezer
This will freeze for up to 3 months! Hope this helps! x
Would this work making individual ones in ramekins?
Hiya! Yes, should be fine! Enjoy! x
I can see you can freeze it but do you do this before adding after eights?
You can do before or after decorating! Hope this helps! x
Could you make this dairy free by using plant based cream and dark chocolate that doesn’t have milk in it?
Hiya! I personally have not tested this, but it’s definitely worth a go! Let me know how it goes! x
Made this for a party and while it looked great, and still tasted great, the biscuit base just fell apart. There was no way it would have held together, any tips for next time?
Hiya! How did you crush the biscuits? They need to be a really fine crumb, mixed well with the butter for it to work! Hope this helps! x
I made this over Christmas, oh my! It was gorgeous Jane. Like a big After Eight, went down really went with the family. Making another today to take to the in-laws for New Years Day dessert. Can’t wait for another slice 🤗
Should I wait for the ganache to cool completely before pouring it onto the filling?
Hiya! It should be fine to pour straight in. Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane
Could you make this with a shortbread base instead of biscuit crumb?
Yes you can do, but the levels of butter for blitzed biscuit crumbs vary – so you may need less! Enjoy! x
Can the base be made ahead of time and how long is this ok in the fridge for x
Hiya! Yes you can, and the tart will last in the fridge for 3 days, covered! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane.. have you tried this chocolate orange? By swapping out the essence and after eights for orange
Hiya! Take a look at my Terrys Chocolate Orange Tart! But yes you would be able to switch those! Hope this helps! x
Looks amazing. I love After Eight MInts….yummy!
Hi Jane do you think this would work with dairy free cream?
Hiya! Unfortunately I haven’t tried this, but it is definitely worth a go! x
Can i freeze this
Yes! You can freeze this for up to 3 months! Enjoy! x
What kind of dark chocolate/milk chocolate would you recommend? I saw the Amazon one you recommended but from an ordinary supermarket, would any brand of chocolate work?
By the way this looks amazing!
Generally using baking chocolate or just supermarket own is best! Though the dark chocolate needs to be at least 70%. Hope this helps! x