Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
“Our salted caramel chocolate tart is paired with a flaky buttery chocolate shortcrust base, a rich melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate ganache and a velvety, sweet and salty caramel made from scratch.This recipe has been a work in progress for almost four months. I eventually even put it on hold for some time. Recently my sister who is pregnant has been having a craving for this. She even sent me a video saying, “I need this!” So that got me working on this pastry again.It’s a simple recipe you can make at home. You just have to be careful with the high temperature. Its salted caramel complements the dark chocolate ganache wonderfully. It’s on the menu at our bakery through the winter.”
Ingredients
For the shortcrust:
- 1½ cups (185 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.5 g) salt
- 2¾ tablespoons (40 g) caster sugar
- 4 tablespoons (30 g) cocoa powder
- 4½ ounces (120 g) cold butter
- ½ cup (60 g) cold milk
For the caramel:
- ¾ cup (175 g) granulated sugar
- 2 ounces (50 g) butter
- 1⅓ cups (300 g) heavy cream
- 2½ teaspoons (12 g) vanilla paste
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) salt
For the dark chocolate ganache:
- 9 ounces (250 g) dark chocolate
- 1⅓ cups (300 g) heavy cream
Instructions
For the Tart
- First, prepare the shortcrust (recipe follows) and set aside. Next, make the caramel (recipe follows). Set caramel aside and allow to cool before using. Prepare the dark chocolate ganache (recipe follows).
- Once the caramel is cool, assemble the tart(s). Pour caramel into the shortcrust shell until half full. Let sit for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator so the caramel can crystallize.
- Next, add the chocolate ganache on top of the caramel, and let sit for another 10 minutes. Decorate with cocoa powder and Maldon sea salt. Enjoy!
For the shortcrust:
- Combine flour, salt, sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl. With a fork, add the butter until you have small lumps. Add the cold milk and mix until combined.
- Dust work table with flour then turn mixture out onto it. Work the mixture until it becomes dough like. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Remove dough from plastic and roll thin, about 5 minutes. Transfer it to the mold(s) of your preference, one large or a dozen mini. Make sure to cover the sides as well. With a fork, prick the dough so it does not bubble.
- Bake at 340° F. Bake until golden brown. Mini tarts take about 20 minutes.
For the caramel:
- Melt the sugar in a saucepan over low heat until it turns an amber color. Immediately add the butter followed by the cream.
- Add the vanilla and salt. Continue mixing until the sauce becomes silky or the temperature reaches, but does not exceed, 235° F on a sugar or needle thermometer.
For the dark chocolate ganache:
- Heat the heavy cream on low heat until lukewarm. Combine with chocolate until smooth and without lumps.
Notes
Photo by Michael Gonzalez