Chocolate Caramel Tart
A crisp cocoa pastry shell layered with silky amber caramel and glossy dark chocolate ganache, finished with fleur de sel.
⏱️ Prep: 40 min🍳 Cook: 38 min🍽️ Makes 8
Ingredients
| 1 1/4 cups | 300 ml | all-purpose flour |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | unsweetened cocoa powder |
| 16 Tbs. | 240 ml | unsalted butter, cut into pieces |
| 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. | confectioners' sugar | |
| 1 | egg yolk | |
| 1 tsp. | 5 ml | vanilla extract |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | water |
| 2 cups | 480 ml | granulated sugar |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | light corn syrup |
| 2 cups plus 2 Tbs. | heavy cream | |
| 10 oz. | 285 g | semisweet chocolate, chopped |
| — | fleur de sel for garnish |
Instructions
- Sift together the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together 8 Tbs. (1 stick) of the butter, the confectioners' sugar, egg yolk and vanilla until just smooth and creamy. Add the flour mixture and beat until a dough forms; do not overwork. Shape into a rectangle, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 13-by-10-inch rectangle. Transfer to an 11-by-8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press into the bottom and up the sides, cut off any overhang and prick in several places with a fork. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Preheat an oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the dough with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake until the sides are cooked through and the base is almost cooked through and slightly flaky, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment and bake until the base is dry and set, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, granulated sugar and corn syrup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar turns into a deep amber caramel, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and very carefully and slowly pour in 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. of the cream (it will spatter). Add the remaining 8 Tbs. (1 stick) butter, 1 piece at a time, stirring until smooth. Pour the caramel into the cooled tart shell, let cool, then refrigerate until firmly set, at least 30 minutes.
- Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Pour the ganache over the caramel and refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving and garnish with fleur de sel. Serves 8.
- Do ahead / variations: This tart can also be made in a 9-inch round tart pan, or as tartlets by dividing the crust, caramel and ganache among six 4 1/2-inch round tartlet pans with removable bottoms.