Description
Rich chocolate meets silky caramel in these irresistible Chocolate Caramel Tarts, offering a luxurious dessert experience that melts hearts. Delicate pastry shells cradle smooth chocolate ganache and golden caramel, promising pure indulgence with each heavenly bite you savor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 200 g dark chocolate
- 1 cup caramel sauce
Baking and Flavor Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Garnish and Topping:
- 1/4 cup chocolate shavings
- 2 tbsp sea salt flakes
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Create a buttery pastry dough by combining flour, sugar, and salt, then incorporate cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Gently knead the dough, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up and enhance flavor development.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease tart pans, ensuring even coating for easy removal.
- Roll out the chilled dough to 1/8-inch thickness and carefully line tart shells, trimming excess edges with precision.
- Blind bake the tart shells for 15 minutes, using pie weights to maintain shape, then remove weights and continue baking until golden brown.
- Melt dark chocolate using a double boiler method, stirring consistently to achieve smooth, glossy consistency.
- Whisk eggs and vanilla extract into the melted chocolate, creating a rich, velvety chocolate ganache.
- Drizzle caramel sauce evenly across the pre-baked tart shells, creating a smooth, luxurious base layer.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the caramel, ensuring complete and uniform coverage.
- Sprinkle sea salt flakes and chocolate shavings across the surface for enhanced texture and flavor complexity.
- Optional: Scatter chopped nuts for additional crunch and nutty undertones.
- Chill tarts for 2 hours to set ganache and allow flavors to meld together perfectly.
- Serve at room temperature for optimal taste and presentation.
Notes
- Chill dough thoroughly to prevent shrinkage and ensure a crisp, flaky pastry shell that holds its shape perfectly during baking.
- Use high-quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content for a rich, intense flavor that elevates the entire dessert experience.
- Experiment with alternative caramel variations like salted, bourbon-infused, or dairy-free options to customize the tart to different dietary preferences.
- Toast nuts lightly before adding to enhance their natural oils and create a deeper, more complex nutty flavor profile that complements the chocolate and caramel.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg