SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE TART

Beware: this is for the serious sweet tooth
Makes: 8 servings                                                                                         Takes: 3+ hours

SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE TART

Makes: 8 servings                                      Takes: 3+ hours
Crust
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp chilled milk 
Filling
  • 3/4 cup half and half
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
Ganache
  • 4 oz. semisweet chocolate (under 70% cacao), finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • Flaky sea salt (I used Maldon)
Crust
  1. Whisk cocoa, sugar, salt, and 1⅔ cups flour in a medium bowl. Add butter and smash into dry ingredients with your hands until it nearly disappears (you shouldn’t see any large bits) and mixture holds together when squeezed. Make a well in the center and add yolks and milk. Using a fork, gradually incorporate flour mixture and knead a couple of times in bowl until no dry spots remain and dough is smooth. Flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill until firm, about 2 hours. 
  2. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and line with a sheet of parchment paper or foil. Fill with pie weights and bake until edges of crust are set and starting to look dry, about 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
​Filling
  1. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to high and boil, without stirring, until dark golden and the mixture reaches 340°F on a sugar thermometer. This is v important! Don't attempt without a candy thermometer! I did, and it did not go well...
  2. Meanwhile, place the cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted (or microwave). Once sugar reaches 340 degrees, remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the cream mixture. Return the pan to low heat and stir for 5 minutes or until thickened. Pour into the pastry shell and refrigerate until caramel is set, about 1 hour.
Ganache
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. If you can rollout the dough into a slightly larger round than the tart pan and place in, go for it. Mine was not cooperating so I just pressed the dough into the greased pan with the bottom of a glass to form the crust. Chill in freezer until firm, 10–15 minutes.
  2. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (bowl should not touch water). Stir with a heatproof spatula. Once almost completely melted, add butter and stir until dissolved. Let cool.
  3. Remove tart from refrigerator and spoon ganache over caramel. Create decorate swirls however you like! Sprinkle with sea salt immediately so they stick!