Chocolate Caramel Tart

I am sitting here trying to think what I can write about these tarts and only one word comes to mind... Yum!  Dark chocolate crust, bittersweet chocolate ganache, creamy caramel on the inside, all topped with a light sprinkling of French gray sea salt ( a great foil). 

We are still adjusting to a dog's life.  See you have to remember that we are first time dog owners.  We both have never really had a dog as children.  We came from families who had cats, but not dogs.  So we are saying things like what does that mean?  Is that normal?  Should we be doing this?  I know some of you out there are probably like, duh, whats so hard about it?  Well we want her to be trained right, have good manners and overall be obedient.  So we are reading things on the internet, books from the library, talking to people, and watching videos on the internet.  We have taught her to sit, lay down, shake.  We are still working on up (after she has laid down) and come.  We want her to learn drop and fetch.  Its a process.  Hopefully soon we will find a class that works into our schedule.

So you want some tart? Follow the recipe below and you will have your very own to eat.

Chocolate Caramel Tart
Adapted from this recipe at Saveur magazine


1 1⁄2 cups flour
1⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp. dutch-process unsweetened
cocoa powder
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
2 egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract


the caramel
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. sour cream


the ganache
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Gray sea salt for garnish


Heat oven to 350˚. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Transfer dough to 8 mini tart pans.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Prick the tart shells all over with a fork and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool. (It will seem like it is not going to come together but it will).

The caramel: In a 1-qt. saucepan, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 6 tbsp. water and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer inserted into the syrup reads 340°. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, cream, and sour cream (the mixture will bubble up) until smooth. Pour caramel into cooled tart shell and let cool slightly; refrigerate until firm, 4–5 hours. I had a little extra caramel than I needed for my shells.  I added a bit more heavy cream so that it would stay a softer consistency for going on ice cream or say... scooping up with a spoon.

The ganache: Bring cream to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate until set, 4–5 hours. Sprinkle tart with sea salt, slice, and serve chilled.

SERVES 8