Chocolate Salted Caramel Tartlets Food

CHOCOLATE, HAZELNUT & SALTED CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, whizz the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add the flour, icing sugar and butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 1-2 tbsp cold water, and pulse until the dough comes together. Tip the dough out and flatten into a disc, then wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to line a 23cm loose-bottomed, deep tart tin. Trim the edges and prick the base with a fork, then line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 20 mins, then carefully remove the baking beans and parchment and bake for a further 5-10 mins until light golden. Allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the salted caramel. Tip the sugar into a small pan, add 1-2 tbsp water and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and cook until the sugar turns to an ambercoloured caramel. Reduce the heat and add the butter, cream and golden syrup, and stir until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and add the salt. Allow to cool for a few mins, then spread onto the tart base. Scatter with chopped hazelnuts and set aside.
• For the chocolate filling, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolk and caster sugar for about 6 mins until thick and pale. Fold in the melted chocolate and cocoa, then pour into the tart case. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook for 20-25 mins or until set and the top has formed a crust. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving in slices.

SALTED CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• Make the tart shell:
• Preheat oven to 300°F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground; remove and set aside. Add butter, sugar, and vanilla to food processor and pulse to combine well. Return ground almonds to food processor along with flour and salt and pulse briefly until a dough begins to form. Transfer dough (it will be crumbly) to a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides, using your knuckles to spread it as evenly as possible. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes. Prick dough all over with a fork and bake until just golden brown, about 45 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack and let crust cool completely.
• Make the caramel:
• Place a pastry brush in a cup of water near the stove. In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling gently but not stirring, and occasionally using the pastry brush to wash down any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan. Continue to cook until caramel reaches a dark amber color, swirling frequently as it darkens, 15 to 20 minutes total. Remove from heat and carefully add the cream all at once (it will bubble up). Add the butter, vanilla, and salt, and when the bubbles die down a bit, whisk caramel until smooth. Pour into tart shell and set aside to cool for 20 minutes. Then, refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, or up to one day ahead.
• Make the ganache:
• After the caramel-filled tart has chilled for at least an hour, melt the chocolate gently in a bowl set atop barely simmering water in a saucepan. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly. Stir the crème fraîche into the chocolate, followed by the butter and corn syrup. Stir to combine well. Spread over the cooled caramel tart and refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours). Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, and garnish with flaky salt, if desired.

SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE GANACHE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt; set aside.
• In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla and mix until combined. Little by little, add the dry ingredients until incorporated. The dough may look crumbly, but it should come together easily when you pinch the dough between two fingers.
• Press the dough out into a tart pan. Prick all over with a fork and put into the freezer for 10 minutes. Bake chilled crust for 15 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the caramel, place the sugar, corn syrup and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. Stir to combine, but onces the mixture begins to bubble stop stirring for the remainder of the cooking process. The sugar will first turn clear, then it will noticeably start bubbling and eventually take on color. Continue to cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer inserted into the syrup reads 340°, stir in the butter. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully (watch the sputtering) add the heavy cream and vanilla. Pour the caramel into the cooled crust and refrigerate for about 3-4 hours or until set.
• To make the chocolate ganache, heat the heavy cream to a simmer, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 60 seconds, then stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate ganache over the caramel tart and refrigerate for a few hours until set.
• To serve, cut into slices and garnish with sea salt.