Sea Salted Chocolate-Caramel Tart

My sister Megs (a.k.a. Queen of the Pies) is making pumpkin and pecan pie for Thanksgiving, so I get to have fun baking up something a little less traditional.

This tart has been bookmarked for ages.  The simplicity of its components drew me in: buttery tart crust, caramel, ganache, sea salt. I love all of those things individually so I could imagine how heavenly they would be all together! 

Caramel is my favorite above chocolate (have I mentioned that before?) and because I’m very particular about it, my own caramel recipe is substituted in this tart. It’s firm enough to hold its shape and won’t spill out of the tart when cut, but it’s soft enough to be ooey-gooey good!

In my eyes, there’s no prettier sight than ground pistachios on chocolate ganache. When I’m at the store I always search for the greenest pistachios peeking out of their shells.  A sprinkling around the edge of this tart makes it a little more beautiful, but it’s totally optional.

I also use and recommend Grey Celtic Sea Salt for this tart. It’s the perfect coarseness for a topping and lovely light grey.

Sea Salted Chocolate-Caramel Tart

Most of this tart recipe has been adapted from The Perfect Finish: Special Desserts for Every Occasion, but I’ve used my own caramel recipe. You’ll need to plan ahead so the tart dough can chill, but most of the components are very easy to make. If you don’t own a tart pan, a metal 9-inch pie pan will work fine. This recipe is also known as the “Twix Tart”.

Yield: One 9-in tart                                                      [click for printable version]

Crust:

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. sea salt

1. Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand
   mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Add eggs; mix until incorporated and scrape down the
   bowl.  Add 2 cups flour and salt and mix
   on low just until incorporated.  If dough
   is very sticky, add remaining flour.
3. Remove dough from bowl and wrap in plastic wrap.
   Refrigerate 1 hour.
4. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface.  Lay into a 9″ tart pan and trim excess dough
   with a knife.  Place in freezer until
   very firm.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fit a large piece of aluminum foil into the
   tart pan so that it completely covers the edges.  Place pie weights, dry beans or uncooked rice
   in the foil covered crust and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Remove the foil with weights.  The tart shell should be blonde.  Shell may be baked for an additional 5-10
   minutes for golden color (I did not do this). Let crust cool completely before
   filling.

 Caramel:

1 cup sugar

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed

½ cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream at room temperature

¼ tsp. sea salt

1. Melt the sugar over medium-high heat in a large pot.
   Whisk the sugar as it melts, and cook until it becomes a deep amber color.
2. Add the butter and stir it in until melted.
3. Pour in the heavy cream (the mixture will foam) and whisk
   until the mixture becomes a smooth sauce. Note: If lumps form, keep stirring
   over gentle heat until they have melted.
4. Remove from heat, stir in salt and let cool slightly.
5. Pour the caramel into the tart shell.  Tilt to cover the bottom evenly.  Let cool in the refrigerator until caramel is
   firm.

 Chocolate Ganache

12 oz. chopped bittersweet
chocolate or 1 ½ cups bittersweet chips

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1. Roughly chop the chocolate and place it in a medium
   bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over
   medium-high heat until just boiling.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and gently whisk
   until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
4. Allow to cool slightly before using.

Very gently pour the ganache over the caramel layer.  The caramel may want to move around a little,
so pour a little at a time (using a ¼ cup measure to pour from will help).  Place in refrigerator until firm.

Toppings:  Sprinkle
with coarse sea salt before serving.  I
also added ground pistachios around the tart’s edge and a small piece of gold leaf in
the center.

Gluten Free Version:

Gluten-Free Sea Salted Chocolate-Caramel Tart

I have a family member who is gluten intolerant and also cannot consume anything containing casein.  Here is the tart I made for her.  I taste-tested a little piece, and it’s very close to the original.  The only difference is the caramel – it is slightly less rich. Some (not all) components of this recipe are vegan, as they do not contain casein.

Gluten free tart crust:                                                              [click for printable version]

Adapted from Elena’s Pantry

2 cups almond meal

½ tsp. fine sea salt

2 tbsp. coconut oil

1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Pulse flour and salt together in a food processor.  Add coconut oil and egg.  Pulse until the mixture clumps and forms a
   ball on one side of the bowl.
3. Press into a 9-inch tart pan.  Cover with foil  and add pie weights, dry beans or uncooked
   rice to weight the pie during baking. Bake for 20 minutes covered then bake an
   additional 5-7 minutes uncovered.
4. Remove and let pie crust cool completely.

Vegan caramel sauce:

You’ll need a can of full-fat coconut milk that has been
refrigerated for 4 hours or more.  Do not
shake the can before opening.

1 cup sugar

½ cup coconut cream skimmed from the top of the can (save
the clear portion of coconut milk for other use)

¼ tsp. salt

1. Melt the sugar over medium-high heat in a large pot.
   Whisk the sugar as it melts, and cook until it becomes a deep amber color.
2. Pour in the coconut cream and whisk until the mixture
   becomes a smooth sauce. Note: If lumps form, keep stirring over gentle heat
   until they have melted.
3. Remove from heat, stir in salt and let cool slightly.
4. Pour the caramel into the tart shell.  Tilt to cover the bottom evenly.  Let cool in the refrigerator until caramel is
   firm.

Vegan Ganache: 

3/4 cup lite coconut milk

1/4 cup coconut oil

12 oz. vegan mini chocolate chips (such as Enjoy Life
brand)

1. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl.
2. In a small saucepan heat coconut cream and oil over
   medium-high heat very hot but not boiling.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and gently whisk
   until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool slightly
   before using.
4. Very gently pour the ganache over the caramel layer.  The caramel may want to move around a little,
   so pour a little at a time (using a ¼ cup measure to pour from will help).  Place in refrigerator until firm.
5. Toppings:  Sprinkle
   with coarse sea salt before serving.  I
   also added ground pistachios around the tart’s edge and a small piece of gold
   leaf in the center.