Description
Indulge in this decadent Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart, combining a rich chocolate shortcrust pastry with smooth salted caramel and a luscious dark chocolate ganache. Perfectly balanced with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and cocoa powder for an elegant finish, this tart offers a sophisticated dessert experience.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chocolate Shortcrust Pastry
- 185g plain flour/all purpose flour
- 30g cocoa powder
- 40g caster sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 120g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes and frozen for 30 minutes
- 60g cold milk of choice
For the Salted Caramel
- 200g caster sugar
- 60g unsalted butter
- 350ml double cream/heavy cream, warmed
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste/extract
- 1 tsp salt
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 250g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 300ml double cream/heavy cream
To Finish
- Cocoa powder for dusting
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Chocolate Shortcrust Pastry: Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and caster sugar in a food processor or by hand in a bowl. Add the frozen cold butter cubes and blitz or mix until the mixture resembles coarse sand with small butter lumps. Briefly add cold milk and mix until a cohesive dough forms. Gather dough into a disc, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Roll and Blind Bake the Pastry: Dust the work surface and dough with flour, then roll out the dough to about 3mm thickness, ensuring it is roughly 2 inches larger than a 10-inch tart tin. Transfer the dough to the tart tin, press into the edges, trim excess, dock with a fork, and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/190°C conventional (340°F/375°F). Line the tart shell with baking paper, fill with baking beans or dried rice, and blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove weights and paper, then bake for 15 more minutes, or until fully cooked and slightly firm. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before placing back in the tin.
- Make the Salted Caramel: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the caster sugar without stirring, gently swirling if needed until it reaches a deep amber color. Quickly add butter and warm cream (careful of splattering), then stir in vanilla and salt. Whisk continuously until smooth and velvety; if the caramel crystallizes, whisk gently over low heat or cover and whisk periodically until smooth. Optionally, use a thermometer to reach 113°C (235°F) for precision. Let caramel cool slightly before pouring over the chilled pastry shell. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2-3 hours until fully set.
- Prepare the Chocolate Ganache: Place chopped dark chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl. Warm cream over low to medium-low heat until steaming with small bubbles but not boiling. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Gently whisk starting from the center moving outward until smooth, finishing with a spatula to ensure all chocolate is melted and combined. Pour ganache over set caramel layer and tilt tart to spread evenly. Refrigerate until ganache is completely set.
- Finish the Tart: Just before serving, dust the tart with cocoa powder and sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top for an elegant finish and balanced flavor contrast.
Notes
- Freezing the butter before mixing helps achieve a flaky shortcrust texture.
- Blind baking the shell prevents sogginess from the caramel and ganache layers.
- Use caution when adding cream to hot caramel to avoid splattering burns.
- Reusing baking beans or dried rice after blind baking saves waste.
- For best results, utilize a cooking thermometer for precise caramel temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of tart)
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
