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Chocolate Caramel Tart

A decadent dessert with a flaky chocolate crust, ooey-gooey caramel layer, and rich chocolate ganache topped with sea salt. Perfect for holiday dinners.
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert

Ingredients
  

FOR THE CRUST
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 10 tbsp. unsalted butter cubed and softened
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 egg yolks preferably at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
FOR THE CARAMEL
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 tbsp. light corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 6 tbsp. heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp. crème fraiche
FOR THE GANACHE
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
  • Gray sea salt for garnish

Method
 

Make the crust
  1. Heat oven to 350˚. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Transfer dough to a 9″ fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and press dough evenly into bottom and sides of pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Prick the tart shell all over with a fork and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool.
Make the caramel
  1. In a 1-qt. saucepan, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 6 tbsp. water and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer inserted into the syrup reads 340°. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, cream, and crème fraîche (be careful – the mixture will bubble up) until smooth. Pour caramel into cooled tart shell and let cool slightly; refrigerate until firm, 4–5 hours.
Make the ganache
  1. Bring cream to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate until set, 4–5 hours. Sprinkle tart with sea salt immediately before serving, slice, and serve chilled.

Notes

Start a day ahead so you have ample time to complete it. The sea salt will dissolve on the ganache after about 30 minutes, so wait until immediately before serving to sprinkle it on top!