Chocolate Caramel Tart

I made this along with a coconut cake (one of the cakes that I filled with my new favorite thing - stabilized whipped cream, click here for that post) to take to our "Friendsmas" party (Hm, is "Friendsmas" a thing? Like Thanksmas or Palentine's Day? If it isn't, I'm taking credit for this new word LOL!).

This might look like a lot of steps, but don't let that stop you from making it - none of the steps are hard and the result is an ooey, gooey, chocolatey delicious dessert! You don't need a candy thermometer, it's an 'eyeball it until it's the right color' kind of caramel - at room temperature it's quite soft but sets up firm when chilled. Don't leave it sitting out too long tho, it'll get really soft again - still tastes really good but isn't easy to serve in wedges that way!

I got this at melskitchencafe.com. She has lot of pictures if you want to see the steps.

Ingredients:

crust:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

caramel:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

ganache:

• 3 ounces (1/2 cp) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or use good-quality chocolate chips)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• coarse or flaky salt for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350'.
2. FOR THE CRUST: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl using a handheld mixer), combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, egg yolk, vanilla and flour. Mix until combined (it may be crumbly but will hold together when pressed).
3. Crumble the mixture over the bottom of a 9 or 10" tart pan (or a pie plate). Press evenly up the sides first all the way around the edges, and then press the remaining crust mixture evenly over the bottom. (MY NOTE: I did not grease the pan and it was difficult to cleanly remove slices of  the tart - next time I will grease the pan before putting in the crust!).
4. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
5. FOR THE CARAMEL: In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup (try not to splash the mixture up on the sides of the pan). Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until the mixture is a medium-dark amber color, tilting the pan just slightly every couple of minutes to swirl the mixture - don't swirl or tilt the pan to quickly or get the caramel mixture up high on the sides of the pan. The exact cooking time will depend on how high/low the heat is on the stove.
6. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the butter, cream, and vanilla. The hot mixture will bubble vigorously. Stir to combine (don't scrape the sides of the pan too much or the granules that are on the sides will get into the smooth caramel). 
7. Pour the caramel over the baked crust. Refrigerate until the caramel is set and no longer warm, 1-2 hours.
8. FOR THE GANACHE: Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream in the microwave until simmering. Pour cream over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for a minute or 2; stir to combine until the chocolate is glossy and smooth. Spread the ganache evenly over the caramel. Chill until the chocolate is set and no longer melty/soft. Sprinkle with a bit of coarse or flaky salt if desired (MY NOTE: her recipe calls for "fleur de sel" but I don't have that. Coarse or flaky works the same!). 
9. Keep refrigerated until serving. For neat even slices, run a long chef's knife under hot water, wipe dry and slice (repeating as needed to get clean slices). 
   
   
   
   

one year ago: peppermint sugar scrub
two years ago: bread and butter bread pudding with salted caramel whiskey sauce!