A Pirate's Journey in the Kitchen: Tarte Chocolat Caramel (Chocolate Caramel Tart)

Did you miss me? I know I have been MIA for the past week and a half. Lots of cooking still took place, but things were just super busy surrounding Thanksgiving! But, I'm back!

My family came over one night last week for dinner, which was very exciting for me! I started out with a Roasted Red Pepper Dip as an appetizer, which was quite tasty. For dinner, I served Florentine Stuffed Chicken Breasts, which I had been anxious to make again ever since I first made it back in early October, paired with a side salad and Asparagus with Mustard Sauce. I was very happy with how everything turned out! My brother helped me with the chicken, so that was fun having him in the kitchen with me!

But now, the focus point of this blog post.... the tart. Ohhhhh my goodness was this quite a tart. I really don't even know where to start. It was SO delicious! The made-from-scratch tart crust came out just perfect, not to mention the homemade caramel filling. Oh it just makes my mouth water thinking about it. The chocolate was the perfect consistency, although quite rich! It really wasn't hard to make. Anyone could make this, and you will surely impress anyone that eats some of it!

The recipe came from a collection of tart recipes that my brother gave me for Christmas a few years ago. There are many amazing recipes in there, but I think this one might be my favorite! I will post pictures as I go through the recipe below.

The Tarte Chocolat Caramel recipe starts out with the preparation of the Pâte Sablée:

1/3 cup sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
7 tablespoons(3 1/2 ounces) chilled unsalted butter, diced, plus a pat to grease the pan
1 to 2 tablespoons cold milk

Makes enough to line a 10-inch tart pan, or six 4-inch tartlet molds.

1. Grease a 10-inch tart or quiche pan with butter.

2. If working with a food processor, combine the sugar, flour, and salt in the processor. Add the butter and process in short pulses, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add a tablespoon of milk and process again, in short purses, until the milk is absorbed. The dough should still be crumbly, but it should clump if you gently squeeze a handful in your hand. If it doesn't, add a little more milk, teaspoon by teaspoon, and give the dough a few more pulses, until it reaches the desired consistency. Proceed to step 3.

If working by hand, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with the tips of your fingers or a wire pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add a tablespoon of milk and blend it in, handling the dough as lightly as you can. The dough should still be crumbly, but it should clump if you gently squeeze a handful in your hand. If it doesn't, add a little more milk, teaspoon by teaspoon, and blend again, still working lightly, until it reaches the desired consistency. Proceed to step 3.

3. Pour the mixture into the prepared tart pan and use the back of a tablespoon to spread it evenly over the bottom. using the heels of your hands and your fingers, press down on the dough to form a thin layer, covering the surface of the pan and creating a rim all around. Don't worry if the dough feels a little dry - this is normal. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a day.

Now that we have our Pâte Sablée as our base, we move on to the Chocolate Caramel Tart recipe:

for the caramel filling
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon good-quality honey
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or kosher salt
1/3 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced, plus a pat for greasing the pan

for the ganache filling
10 ounces good-quality bittersweet (or semi-sweet) chocolate, very finely chopped
1 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream

1. Grease a 10-inch tart pan with butter. Prepare the Pâte Sablée and line the pan as instructed. Wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a day.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden, keeping an eye on it. Transfer to a rack to cool.
3. Prepare the caramel filling: make sure you have all the ingredients measured out before you start. Combine the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt the sugar slowly over medium-low heat. Swish the pan around from time to time to ensure even melting, but don't stir. As soon as bubbles form on the surface (avoid overcooking the caramel, which would result in a bitter taste afterward), add the honey and stir to combine. Add the salt and cream and stir until blended. Remove from heat, add the butter, and stir to combine. Pour the caramel into the tart shell and tilt the pan slowly in a circular motion to coat the bottom of the shell evenly. Let set in the fridge for 40 minutes.

4. Prepare the ganache filling: put the chocolate in a medium mixing bowl, preferably stainless steel. Bring the cream to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour half of the cream on the chocolate (cover the saucepan to keep the remaining cream warm), let stand for 20 seconds, and stir gently in the center with a whisk, gradually blending the cream with the chocolate until smooth. Add half of the remaining cream, and stir again until combined. Repeat with the remaining cream. Remove the tart pan from the fridge, pour the chocolate filling into the shell, and level the surface with a spatula. Return to the fridge to set for an hour.

I got semi-sweet chocolate chips and just chopped them up the best I could and put them in the bowl. The heavy cream just melted them right away perfectly!

The final product before I put it in the fridge to set. When I poured the chocolate, it pushed some of the caramel out to the edges, but it still worked out just fine!

5. Remove the tart from the fridge 15 minutes before serving. Cut in small slices - it is quite rich - and serve on its own, or with fresh berries. The leftovers will keep for 2 days, tightly wrapped and refrigerated.