Caramel Chocolate Tartlets

The other weekend, my fiancé and I met up with our wedding photographers to thank them for doing such a good job on our engagement photos. Seriously, I couldn't ask for better pictures. If you are on the look-out for talented and personable photographers, check them out here! We treated them to a little Madison secret, the Chocolaterian cafe. If you love all things chocolate, you need to stop into this wonderful cafe. I ordered the caramel chocolate tart. Oh my goodness. It was oh-so-good! Naturally, I decided this had to be my next culinary adventure. 

After researching recipes, I realized it shouldn't be too difficult to make. What's the hard part about making tarts? It's finding a store that carries the pans! After a few disappointing trips, I landed at Williams-Sonoma. That store ceases to fail me! Finally, I was all set to recreate the caramel chocolate tart that I fell in love with at Chocolaterian.

This dessert has every element to satisfy any dessert craving. It's sweet, rich and topped off with a hint of salt. It's delectable flavor is perfectly enjoyed in it's tiny tartlet size.  

Caramel Chocolate Tartlets

adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Tart Shell

10 tbsp butter

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp salt

Caramel Filling

1/8 c. water

1/2 c. sugar

1 tbsp corn syrup

2 tbsp butter

1/8 c. heavy cream

pinch of salt

Chocolate Ganache

1/8 c. heavy cream

1 oz. bittersweet chocolate

coarse sea salt to garnish

Instructions

Tart Shell

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  

2. Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs.

3. Add flour and salt until combined.

4. Ball the dough and wrap up. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but up to overnight.

5. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch. Cut the dough to size and press into 6 tartlet pans. Chill 20 minutes.

6. If desired, cover dough with parchment paper and add pie weights. Bake 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment paper. Bake another 5 minutes or until golden edges appear. Let cool.

Caramel Filling

1. Combine water, corn syrup and sugar in a sauce pan on medium to high heat. 

2. Stir sugar mixture often. It will become bubbly. 

3. Turn to low heat once mixture is an amber-yellow color. Add in butter, heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Be careful, the mixture will fizzle up. 

4. Once all combined, transfer to a glass measuring cup and distribute evenly between tartlets. 

5. Let caramel set for at least 45 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache 

1. Heat heavy cream in sauce pan until a light boil.

2. Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate that is in a glass measuring cup.

3. Once chocolate is soft and melting, stir until a smooth consistency.

4. Pour evenly over tartlets.

5. Let tartlets reach room temperature, which takes about 2 hours.

Sprinkle coarse salt over each tartlet and enjoy!