Name: Chocolate Caramel Tart
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 1 c. flour; 1/3 c. dutch-process cocoa powder; 1/4 c. sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 5 Tablespoons butter, diced; 1 egg yolk; 1 Tablespoon water; 1 c. sugar; 6 Tablespoons water; 1 c. heavy cream; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon salt; 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips; 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, diced; 5 egg yolks + 1 whole egg; Flaky sea salt; powdered sugar

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This decadent Chocolate Caramel Tart boasts a chocolate pastry crust topped off with a rich chocolate and homemade caramel filling that’s sprinkled with flaky sea salt.

I was gifted a package of Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa but all opinions are 100% my own.

I don’t know about you but there is something so satisfying about making your own caramel. Going from sugar and water to a rich, golden caramel is just amazing. Plus the flavor of homemade caramel can’t be beat!

I recently saw a recipe for a Chocolate Caramel Tart in a magazine. The photo alone had me drooling. It looked rich, dark, and decadent. I thought it might be perfect for Valentine’s Day.

I was a little worried about the chocolate pastry crust as I don’t know that I’ve made a chocolate one before. But since I felt it added to the overall flavor and appearance I just went for it.

Ingredients:

flour
Dutch Process cocoa powder (I used Rodelle)
sugat
sea salt
butter
egg
heavy cream
vanilla extract
semisweet chocolate

To make the crust combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Mix to combine.
Add in the butter and use your fingers to mix it into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like sand.
Add the egg yolk and one tablespoon of cold water and mix until the dough comes together and you can form a ball. I used my hands to do this. Add a teaspoon more of water if needed.
Press the dough into a 9 inch tart pan in an even layer. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the tart crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the crust looks dry. Remove the parchment paper and weights and then bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

The crust actually came together without an issue and was easy to put in the tart pan. I was afraid it was a little thicker on one side than the other but it all turned out fine.

Next up was the homemade caramel. I’ve made caramel hundreds of times and it still intimidates me. I tried to get the perfect golden brown color before stirring in the cream. Once the cream went in I whisked for all I was worth.

I ended up with a quarter sized hard lump but the rest of the caramel was perfect so I just discarded the hard lump and kept the rest. Then I made the chocolate mixture and combined it together.

Of course I had to give it a taste before pouring it in the crust and it tasted amazing. Caramel and chocolate mixed together and I hoped that the eggs would add a richness to the filling of this tart.

What exactly is a tart? Is it the same as a pie?

The tart is like a cousin to the pie. A tart is usually baked in a pastry base with some type of filling and an open top. It is not covered in a crust as pies sometimes are. Fillings can be sweet or savory.

Do you need a tart pan to make a tart?

While using a tart pan will be the easiest way to make a tart you don’t have to have one. You can use a pie pan but make sure to line it with parchment paper to that you can get the tart out of the pan. It’s also harder to judge the filling with a pie pan because tart pans are much shorter. But you can still make a stunning tart in a pie pan.

What is Dutch Process Cocoa Powder?

It is a cocoa where the solids have been treated with an alkalizing agent to reduce the natural acidity of cocoa which gives it a less bitter taste and a darker color. While you can use regular cocoa powder, the Dutch Process Cocoa Powder just gives it a better, richer flavor.

I like to use Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa which is Dutch-processed and has a rich flavor and appearance. Their cocoa powder contains one of the highest levels of cocoa butter on the market, giving it a superior chocolate flavor.

My caramel got hard when I added the heavy cream, what can I do?

The best thing to do is start with heavy cream that isn’t too cold. This means pulling it out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before using. If you’ve already added it and your caramel is hard you can add a bit of water to it and slowly reheat the caramel to melt the sugar solids. It will thin out and soften.

When I pulled the tart out of the oven it smelled amazing. The center was just set and I could hardly wait for it to cool.

While you can add whipped cream or ice cream to the top of this tart I wanted to go simple and added flaky sea salt and a dusting of powdered sugar. This tart doesn’t need anything else.

The crust has a deep chocolate flavor. You expect it to be sweet because it’s chocolate but it isn’t at all. This works perfectly with the decadent filling.

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The filling totally makes the dish. It is rich and has a distinct caramel, chocolate, and salty flavor. It’s smooth and a fork goes right through it. It has a silky mouth feel that’s out of this world.

If you are a fan of chocolate this is the dessert for you. While it definitely takes some time and love to make it’s worth the effort at the end of the day.

This tart would make a great Valentine’s Day dessert or birthday dessert for a chocolate lover. Whatever occasion you make it for make sure to share it!

If you’ve tried my Chocolate Caramel Tart or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on: