You had me at dark chocolate… no wait… you had me at salted caramel!!
This tart is the ultimate indulgence, captivating all your taste buds, delivering on bitterness, sweetness, salty and oooh sooo creamy! By adding some fresh berries on top, you add the zingy sourness to balance everything out.
Okay, yes... I know this takes a bit of time to make, but if ever there’s been a time to trust me... this is it, because its oh so worth it!!
This is an absolute showstopper and you are guaranteed to have compliments streaming in when serving this, so brace yourself to feel ultra-flattered.
Some useful tips:
For the pastry: Ensure your butter is cold, this allows the butter to melt while baking, which gives a light fluffy texture. Using ice water, also assists in keeping the pastry as cold as possible. Try not to handle the pastry too much as heat from your hands can warm the pastry and soften the butter. Using a loose based tart tin, will generally make things easier for you.
For the caramel: The most important part here is to not stir the caramel. This can cause the sugar to crystalize and clump up. Which will not result in the smooth creamy caramel we’re going for. Using a wet pastry brush, you can occasionally brush down the sides of the saucepan with water, this prevents the syrup from burning on the sides which will make the caramel bitter. Closely watch your caramel, it might seem like nothing is happening, but believe me when you turn your back it goes too far. When adding the cream, pour it in a slow steady stream, it will bubble up, do not be intimidated - just stir and you’ll be fine 😊 Use room temperature cream. A full teaspoon of salt might seem like a lot, but it is a salted caramel after all. If you like the idea of it being a bit on the saltier side, feel free to add a pinch of sea salt flakes when serving.
For the dark chocolate topping: Use good quality chocolate, extra dark chocolate will give the bitterness to contrast the sweetness of your caramel. Do not allow the cream to boil completely, as this can cause your ganache mixture to split. Allow the cream to warm up the chocolate chunks for about 5 minutes, bringing your ingredients to the same temperature before combining them by stirring.
You will need:
· Measuring spoons and cups
· Kitchen scale
· 2 x medium sized mixing bowls
· Loose base tart tin
Yields: 8 - 12 servings (depending on how generous you are)
Chocolate tart pastry base
Ingredients:
1 ¼ c plain flour
¼ c ground almonds
¼ c cocoa powder
¼ c white sugar
125g butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
2 Tbsp ice water
Salted Caramel Filling
1 ½ c white sugar
½ c water
½ c cream
75ml (70g) butter
1 tsp salt
Dark Chocolate topping
½ c cream
120g dark chocolate, chips or chopped up chunks
Method:
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, almonds, cocoa powder and sugar. Using an electric mixer incorporate the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Mix in the egg then add in the water and mix until well combined. Press the mixture together to ball. Cover with plastic cling wrap and press down with your palm to form a flat disc. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for 40 minutes.
Flour a surface for rolling out the pastry. Remove the cling wrap and lay it on top of the dough. Roll out the dough while under the plastic wrap, this will prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin and also make it easier to transfer the dough to the pan. Roll out to a thickness of about 3-4mm.
Carefully transfer the pastry to a greased baking tin. Remove the cling wrap layer. Prick the pastry with a fork. Line with a sheet of baking paper on top of the dough. Fill with dried beans, rice or ceramic baking beans.
Bake for 15 min. remove the dried beans and baking paper. Bake for a further 12 – 15 min. Set aside, allowing to cool.
In the meantime, prepare the salted caramel filling by combining the water and sugar in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Allow sugar to dissolve and turn a caramel brown color without stirring. Use a wet pastry brush to brush down the sides of your pot to prevent burning.
Remove the pot from the heat and slowly add the cream. It will bubbly up, this is normal, it is only happening because you’re adding cold cream to seriously hot sugar syrup. Place back onto the heat and constantly stir, using a wooden spoon, for 4-5 minutes until smooth. Once again remove from the heat and add the butter and salt, stir until smooth and creamy.
Allow the caramel to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour the caramel over the baked chocolate base. Refrigerate for ± 5 hours.
Prepare the dark chocolate topping. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat. When the cream just starts to boil and bubbles start to form at the edges of your pot, remove from the heat and pour over the chopped dark chocolate. Allow to sit for about 2 minutes before stirring until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate over the caramel. Tilt your pan in a circular motion, allowing the chocolate to run smoothly to all edges of the pan. You could also use a silicon spatula to spread the chocolate over the top, but this will give you a less smooth finish. Allow to set in the fridge for a few more hours before serving.
Top with fresh berries to serve. Pairs deliciously with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Enjoy xx
Ps. If you've tried this recipe, please post a photo of your creation, I would love to see, tag me @cheryls_table on Instagram or Facebook.
Comments