Cooking with Manuela: Salted Caramel-Chocolate Tart

Get your daily dose of sweetness with this sinfully delicious double-chocolate and salted caramel tart

I wish I felt sorry for posting this recipe today. But oh no, not this time.
Look at this beauty. With its dark chocolate top sprinkled with sea salt. A buttery and chocolatey cookie crust. And a sticky golden layer of homemade caramel in the middle. Slowly oozing out.
It would be just plain wrong not to share this recipe with you.

But please, do yourself a favor. If you are in any kind of diet, look away NOW. Because once you see how easily you can make this dessert in your own kitchen, there's no going back.
You will want to taste the rich and gooey layer of salted caramel, squooshed between the crumbly chocolate crust on the bottom, and the dense and fudgy chocolate ganache on top.
If you have a super sweet tooth, this is the dessert of your dreams. Lick-your-plate (you know you want to) delicious.

Have you ever tried to make caramel sauce from scratch?! It's really fun and easy. And it only requires four basic ingredients.
With this recipe you'll have an extra smooth and creamy caramel. With a hint of milk/butter flavor. Sweet and salted, all at the same time.

Let me help you make this the best possible chocolate-caramel tart you've ever eaten. So, make sure to read all of my suggestions when following the steps below.

This recipe first appeared on Cooking with Manuela in September 2016

PRINTABLE RECIPE

This is

YIELD: Makes 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

YIELD: 11-inch (28 cm) tart, serving about 8

Crust:

1 egg
1/3 cup (65 gr) of sugar
4 oz (115 gr) of unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup ( 30 gr) of unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of milk
1 1/2 cups (225 gr) of all purpose flour

Caramel layer:

1/2 cup (120 ml) of water
2 cups (400 gr) of sugar
4 oz (115 gr) of unsalted butter
1/2 cup (120 ml) of heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon of salt

Chocolate Ganache:

3/4 cup (175 ml) of heavy cream
8 oz (225 gr) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

And: sea salt crystals (to decorate)

PREPARATION:

Remove the butter from the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before you start with the recipe, to soften.
Grease an 11 inch (28 cm) tart pan with butter and flour. Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C).

Starting with the crust:
In a large bowl, beat the egg with the 1/3 cup of sugar. Add one stick of butter and mix well.

Add 1/3 cup of cocoa powder, a pinch of salt, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and two tablespoons of milk. Blend in the flour, one cup first. Mix and add the remaining half cup.

Move the dough onto the prepared pan. Press it down into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.

You can use your spoon (a little hard to do) or your hands (easier!). You can sprinkle lightly with flour if the dough sticks to your fingers.

Make the bottom as even as you can, and work around the sides with your thumbs removing any extra dough from the edges and adding dough if necessary. This dough is super easy to work with.

Prick the bottom with a fork.

Bake for 18-20 minutes in the middle part of the oven.
Let the crust cool in the pan. Set aside.

Caramel layer:
Ten minutes before the crust is fully baked, you can start preparing the caramel.
Suggestions:

Get all the ingredients for the caramel ready and measured ahead of time. You will need to mix in the butter and cream quickly at the end, so you should have them ready.
Use a large/tall pan to make the caramel, so nothing will splatter or spill over when the mixture starts to bubbles.

In a large pan, warm up half cup of water with the two cups of sugar over medium/high heat.

Cook until the sugar dissolves, makes bubbles..

makes bigger bubbles...

and turns golden brown. This should take around 13 to 15 minutes or so. You can gently stir if crystals forms around the edges (I used a silicone spoon).

Make sure to wait until the water and sugar turn into a caramel color before going to the next step. Bubbles are not enough. Increase the flame just a little if you don't see the change in color after the 12 minutes or so.

Remove from the heat and quickly but carefully add the butter cut in pieces. Whisk until melted and smooth

Add the cream and salt right away. And whisk continuously until all is combined.

Pour onto the tart shell and set aside. Refrigerate for about one hour, until set.

3. For the chocolate ganache:
Bring the heavy cream to almost boiling point, in a small pan, or in the microwave (it should take about 1 minute set at high). Place the chocolate (chips or small pieces) in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and add the vanilla extract. Let it sit for one minute.