Salted Chocolate Caramel Tartlets

This recipe for Salted Chocolate Caramel Tartlets makes just two 4 inch tarts, but they are so decadent that just a quarter or half of a tart is plenty to satisfy your sweet tooth. The bits of sea salt sprinkled on top are a perfect balance to the chocolate and caramel. The flavor reminds me of the salted caramels from Fran's Chocolates in Seattle. So good!

The tart starts with a sweet, crispy, and flaky pastry crust. Next comes a layer of creamy caramel, followed by a layer of chocolaty ganache. The tart is then sprinkled with bits of sea salt. So elegant.

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tartlets

Inspired by Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers by Debby Maugans

Pastry Ingredients

1/4 C confectioners' sugar

1/2 C plus 1 T all purpose flour

Pinch of salt

2 tsp egg yolk

2 T plus one tsp unsalted butter

2 to 3 tsp ice water

Pastry Instructions

1. In the bowl of a food processor (I used a mini food processor), pulse the sugar, flour, and salt. 
2. Add the egg yolk, butter, and the water and pulse until the dough begins to clump together. If it is too dry, add more ice water by the teaspoon. 
3. Pour the ingredients onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a cohesive mass, and divide in two. Wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
4. Roll each piece into a 6 inch disk and press them into a 4 to 4 1/2 inch oiled tartlet pan. Use any excess dough to patch any bare spots. Pierce the bottom of each tartlet several times with a fork. 
5. Freeze the tartlet shells for 15 minutes. 
6. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
7. Line each tartlet with foil and fill with pie weights. 
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights, and bake for another 10 minutes. Cool in the tart pans. 

Caramel Ingredients

3 T heavy cream

2 tsp unsalted butter

1/4 C sugar

1 T water

1 T light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Caramel Instructions

1. Please the cream and butter into a microwave safe glass measuring cup and microwave at 15 second intervals until simmering. 
2. In a small, heavy sauce pan or saucier pan, add the sugar, water, and corn syrup, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar disolves. Continue to boil until it becomes a caramel color (be very careful not to burn it). Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and with a long handled whisk, slowly whisk in the cream mixture. Be careful as it may splatter. Continue to whisk until the bubbling stops and then pour the mixture, dividing it evenly, into the two tart pans. Refrigerate for one hour.

Ganache Ingredients

3 T heavy cream

1 tsp light corn syrup

2 1/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Sea salt for finishing

Ganache Instructions

1. Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a microwave save bowl until simmering, for about 25 to 30 seconds. Stir in the chocolate until melted. 
2. Pour into the tartlets and chill until hardened, for about an hour. 
3. Sprinkle the tops lightly with sea salt.