Dark Chocolate Caramel Tart with Almond Shortbread Crust

- Amanda

‘Tis the season to fake it or bake-it-till-you-make it.  This very different holiday season is going to call for lots of treats.  And I’m up for the task of providing as much inspiration in that department as I can.  

First up, for this second day of December, is this Dark Chocolate Caramel Tart with Almond Shortbread Crust.  This is a great one any time of year, but particularly wonderful during the holidays, and especially dressed in red with a little pomegranate magic.

Making this recipe is fairly easy once you get past the caramel, which I know can intimídate many people.  I use a dry caramel here, which means we’re cooking the sugar on the stove without the addition of water or corn syrup.  (That process is called a wet caramel.)  

With a dry caramel, you spread the sugar in an even layer in a medium saucepan.  I recommend not being tempted to use a small pan, even though the sugar amount is pretty minimal.  You’ll have better luck this way and the sugar with cook faster.  The key is to whisk once the sugar starts to melt (not before) and then continue to whisk until it’s all melted.  (It might clump a little at this point but you will be able to whisk it out.) Once all the sugar is melted, it’s important to stop whisking and remove the whisk and let the sugar caramelize without crystallizing. Then once you get a nice amber color, you’ll carefully whisk in a little butter, cook that about a minute, then remove from the heat and carefully whisk in some cream in a steady stream.  The caramel will sputter a lot when you whisk in the butter and cream, so exercising caution (and keeping faces out of the steam stream) is key.  Then a dash of vanilla and sea salt finish it off for a luxuriously silky caramel that is so good for so many things.

I like to make the Almond Shortbread Crust in the food processor for the quickest and easiest method but you can use a bowl and a pastry blender too. The flour gets mixed with confectioner’s sugar and a little salt then pulsed with the almonds until they are almost to a powder. (You can leave them a little bigger, but it leads to a more crumbly tart to eat.) Cold cubed butter gets blended into the dry until a coarse meal and then an egg yolk helps to bring it all together.

This is one of those crusts you don’t need to roll out, but instead just pour into the tart pan and press down into the bottom and sides. Then a quick trip to the freezer to chill up is important and into the oven it goes until nice and golden brown for about 15 minutes.

Once the crust is cool, the slightly cooled caramel gets poured into the tart shell, spread evenly and chilled about 30 minutes to an hour to firm up. Then while that chills, a simple ganache is made by bringing cream up to just a simmer then poured over chopped dark chocolate and whisked until silky smooth. Then a little butter, vanilla and sea salt get mixed in last. And once your tart and caramel are ready to go, the ganache goes on top, spread as you wish and popped into the fridge to set. About 4 hours or more is best.

And the finishing is up to you. It’s fabulous dressed in red with some pomegranate arils. It’s just as beautiful with a little flaked sea salt or almonds, or both, sprinkled on top. And it’s even just perfect as is. I speckled on some edible gold dust for a little festive flair. You can do this tart up however you like, but the real star is that delicious chocolate on top that speaks for itself.

I hope this tart becomes a tried and true recipe for you as it is for me. If you do make it, as always I would so appreciate any feedback down in the comments below or tagged on Instagram.

Cheers to December baking and all the sweet fun ahead!

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Dark Chocolate Caramel Tart with Almond Shortbread Crust

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Chilling Time 5 hours
Servings 1 9″ tart
Author Amanda – A Treat Life

Ingredients

For the Almond Shortbread Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups (192g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (60g) confectioner's sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup (63g) sliced almonds
  • 3/4 cup (170g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 egg yolk

For the Salted Caramel:

  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 6 tbsps (90g) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp sea or kosher salt

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache:

  • 6 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 tbsps (21g) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 tsp sea or kosher salt
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Almond Shortbread Crust:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F/ 177C.

  2. Add the flour, confectioner's sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Then add in the sliced almonds and continue to pulse until they are almost powdery.

  3. Then add in all the cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Last add the egg yolk and pulse until the dough almost starts to come together. Then transfer the dough to a 9" flan ring or tart pan and press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan.

  4. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes, then bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Set on a wire rack to cool completely. *This can be made the day before assembling/ serving.

For the Salted Caramel:

  1. Add the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a medium (3 to 4-quart) saucepan. Heat the sugar over medium-low heat. Once it begins to melt, start whisking gently. It will begin to clump a little, but that's okay. Just keep whisking and as it continues to cook, the clumps will melt down. Once all the sugar has melted, stop whisking and remove the whisk. Swirl the pan occasionally while the sugar cooks and continue to cook until the sugar has reached a medium amber color. (Keep a close eye on it at this point as it can burn fast.)

  2. Once the caramel reaches a nice amber color, add all the butter and whisk until melted. It will sputter up at this point so be careful. Then once all the butter is mixed in, let it bubble for about a minute, then remove from heat and whisk in the cream in a slow, steady stream. (it will bubble up, so again, be careful.)

  3. Continue to whisk until you have a smooth caramel. Then whisk in the salt and vanilla.

  4. Transfer the caramel to a clean, dry bowl to cool slightly.

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache: (Start on the ganache while the caramel is setting on the tart shell in the fridge.)

  1. To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it is just starting to simmer. Don't let it get too hot, remove when you see those first tiny bubbles.

  2. Remove from the heat and pour the cream over the chopped chocolate, and let it sit for a minute. Then whisk the chocolate and cream,startting from the center and working your way out, until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Add the butter, a couple pieces at a time, whisking well. Then whisk in the salt and vanilla. Let cool just slightly.

To Assemble:

  1. Pour the caramel into the cooled tart shell and spread in an even layer so it makes up about a third of the tart if it were divided into 3 layers. (You will likely have a little leftover caramel.) Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes to an hour.

  2. Then pour the ganache over the caramel and spread evenly and refrigerate until set, about 4-5 hours. If desired, top with sliced almonds, pomegranate arils for a festive flair or just a little flaky sea salt. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Any leftover caramel can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.

*The crust can be made ahead of time and baked and wrapped airtight the day before assembling or left unbaked in the tart shell in the refrigerator overnight and baked the day of assembling.