Chocolate Caramel Tart

Photo: flickr user jspatchwork

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and softened

1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons confectioners' sugar

2 egg yolks, preferably at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon crème fraîche

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Preparation

Make the crust: Heat oven to 350˚. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a hand held 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: 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 (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: 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, slice, and serve chilled.