It’s hard to believe but some folks just don’t like pumpkin pie. For them, you could make a Bittersweet Chocolate-Caramel Tart for your Thanksgiving dessert.
It wasn’t the title alone that made me want to taste this recipe but the close-up photo with three slices of the tart. The crust is a chocolate cookie crust that is topped with a thick layer of homemade soft and gooey caramel and on top of that is a dark chocolate ganache. It’s garnished with a few sprinkles of Fleur de Sel (coarse sea salt). The final result is a wonderfully delicious and rich tart. My guests loved it. I loved it too and plan to make it again very soon.
I wish I could tell you the source for this recipe but on the bottom of page 111 (of a Xerox copy) it states only: Holiday Baking 2007. If you know the source, please let me know and I’ll share it in my next blog post.
I had to make a few changes to the original recipe including:
1. I couldn’t find the unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder and so I used Hershey’s regular cocoa powder.
2. My store didn’t have chocolate extract or flavoring and so I left that out.
3. The crust was too dry to pat into the pan and so I added a second egg yolk to it.
4. I used a coarse salt for the garnish but not the expensive fleur de sel.
Bittersweet Chocolate Caramel Tart
Crust
½ cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
Filling
2 cups sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup butter, cut up
½ teaspoon vanilla
Ganache Topping
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
¾ cup heavy cream
1 to 2 teaspoons coarse salt
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat ½ cup butter with mixer on high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in the 2/3 cup sugar. Beat on medium –high speed about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Sprinkle cocoa over mixture. Beat on low speed until blended. Add egg yolks and 1 teaspoon vanilla; mix well. Beat in flour.
2. Pat dough onto bottom and up sides of 10-9nch tart pan with removable bottom. Generously prick bottom and sides with a fork. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until dry and tiny blister appear on the bottom (crust may puff slightly but will settle as it cools). Cool in pan on wire rack.
3. In large saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, water and corn syrup; do not stir. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling pan often, for 12 to 15 minutes or until syrup is dark amber in color. Remove from heat. Carefully whisk in the ½ cup cream, ½ cup butter and ½ teaspoon vanilla. (Mixture will sputter and pop.) Continue whisking until perfectly smooth. Pour immediately into tart shell. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until caramel is set, but not firm.
4. Place chocolate in medium bowl. In saucepan, bring ¾ cup cram to boiling. Pour immediately over chocolate (do not stir); allow to stand for 5 minutes, and then whisk until perfectly smooth. Carefully pour warm ganache topping over tart. Cover loosely; chill overnight.
5. Remove sides of pan. Let stand at room temperate for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt
12 servings
Here are some more ideas for Thanksgiving Desserts.