Salted Chocolate & Caramel Tarts

By hicksofmarvin

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (225g or 8oz) plain flour
• 1/4 cup (50g or 1 3/4oz) caster sugar
• 125 g (4 1/2oz) cold butter, chopped
• 1 egg yolk
• 1-2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 x 395g (14oz) can condensed milk
• 30 g (1oz) butter
• 1/4 cup (60ml or 2fl oz) golden syrup
• 200 g (7oz) dark cooking chocolate
• sea salt flakes for sprinkling

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 60mins
Cooking time 80mins
Adapted from flourandaprons.com

Preparation

Step 1

For these tarts I took the time to temper the chocolate. I didn’t use expensive chocolate just a block of Cadbury (or Nestle) from the baking isle which is perfect for this type of tart. I used the basic seeding method which is the easiest way to temper chocolate. Here’s the basic process. (I do intend on adding some more information about handling chocolate at a later date.)

Place two-thirds of the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir the chocolate until it is melted and has reached 45°C (115°F).

Remove the bowl from the heat, add in the remaining chocolate and keep stirring until it cools down to 27°C (81°F)

When it reaches 27°C (81°F), return it to the heat and bring it back up to 32°C (89°F), stirring the whole time.

If you want to make these a bit simpler, you can use store bought frozen sweet shortcrust pastry or tart cases instead of making the pastry from scratch. I personally think homemade pastry is best.

Place the flour and sugar in a medium bowl or food processor.

Drop the cold butter on top of the flour and pulse (or rub in if doing by hand) until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs. With the processor running, add the egg and 1 tablespoon of water (or mix in by hand). The dough will be crumbly but should stick together when squeezed, if not add another 1-2 teaspoons of water and mix. Turn the dough out and gently knead into a ball. Roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to approximately 3mm (1/8 inch) thick. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Grease a dozen 7.5cm (3inch) tart tins or 12 hole Texas muffin tin. Cut out 12 discs of pastry using a round pastry cutter. Place the discs into the tart tins and prick the bases with a fork. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Filling: Combine the condensed milk, butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan. Stir over a low-medium heat until all the butter is melted and the mixture comes to the boil. Reduce the heat and stir continuously for 5 minutes. Leave the caramel in the saucepan to cool slightly for 5 - 10 minutes. Spoon the caramel filling into the cases and allow to cool competely.

Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 4 days.