Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart

I often cook specific things I'm asked for-- someone's favorite cake, dessert, etc. But sometimes I am free to choose. Whenever I have the chance, I pick a recipe that's been on my mind for a while, such as this Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart, whether for the photos or the ingredients and many times for both.

I've had my eyes on this tart for over a year now, and I finally got around to making it. I feared how caramel would turn out, but in the end, I thought this recipe was easy and quick to make (make the dough the day before, it needs to rest twice) and the flavor is unforgettable. My kid decided they want this to be their birthday "cake"... absolute success.

Recipe revised with new photos January 2017.

23 cm diameter tart, 12 small servings, 8 large servings

For the dough,

10 tablespoons or 140 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup or 100 grams granulated sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
2 cups or 240 grams regular flour
1 teaspoon salt

Using the hand mixer, beat butter and sugar until frothy and pale. Add eggs one by one and whisk to combine, add flour and salt and beat until mixed. Do not over-beat. Make a ball with the dough (it will be very sticky) and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least for one hour or overnight.
Flour a work surface, flatten the dough using the rolling pin until ½ cm thick. Cover a buttered pie mold with the dough. Do not stretch the dough and cut the edges with a knife. If the dough is stretched during this step, it will shrink back in the oven. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before baking.
Pre-heat the oven at 350F or 180C.
Cover the dough with aluminum foil, and use beans to weigh it down. Bake for 30 minutes remove the aluminum foil and the beans (carefully, they will be hot). Bake for another 10 minutes until golden. Allow cooling on a rack before filling.

For the caramel,

½ cup or 120 ml cream
1 cup or 200 grams of sugar
pinch of sea salt

Put the cream in a small pan or Pyrex measuring cup, heat until it comes to a boil. I used the microwave. Remove from the heat.

Combine the sugar and five tablespoons water in a medium pan, ideally with a heavy one. Cook over high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring, and allow to boil until you have a dark caramel, about 6 minutes. Remove from the fire and very carefully--it will rise and sizzle-- add the cream little by little. Stir with a spatula until thoroughly combined. Add a pinch of salt. It will look like in the picture.

Pour the caramel over the cooled tart dough, allow cooling until firm and opaque. You may refrigerate it to speed up the process.

For the ganache,

340 grams of semi-sweet chocolate, I used 61% cocoa, chopped
2 cups or 480 ml cream
pinch of salt

Heat the cream in a medium pan. The moment it comes to a boil, remove from the heat. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Allow to rest for 3 minutes, then slowly stir with circular motions to combine. Once all the chocolate has dissolved, and a chocolate cream has formed, pour this over the caramel. Carefully, you could have some chocolate cream left.
Allow resting on the counter for 3 hours before serving, so that the ganache can harden. Do not refrigerate because the ganache gets opaque and cracks.
Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.