Chocolate and salted caramel tartlets

Method

1. To make the chocolate pastry, place cocoa, flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor and mix until the blend resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the egg yolks and process until the dough just comes together (add 1 tablespoon of iced water if it’s too dry). Turn out onto a floured surface and gently form a ball. Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Roll out the chocolate pastry between 2 sheets of nonstick baking paper to about 3mm thick. Using a 10cm pastry cutter, cut 6 circles, re-rolling pastry as necessary. Lightly grease 6 x 8–10cm fluted tartlet tins and line each with a circle of pastry, pressing gently to the edges. Trim edges and prick bases with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Line pastry cases with non-stick baking paper, fill with raw rice or baking weights and bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the pastry is just cooked. Allow pastry to cool in the tins.  

4. To make the ganache, heat the cream in a small saucepan to just below the boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir until chocolate has melted. Set aside for 10 minutes.

5. To make the salted caramel, spoon caramel into a bowl, add salt and whisk until smooth and slightly softened. Divide between pastry cases. Spoon cooled chocolate over the caramel, smoothing with a blunt knife. Refrigerate until set.

6. Remove tartlets from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving. Ease from tins and dust with cocoa and sea salt to serve.

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   Find caramel in a can (such as Top ’n’ Fill) in supermarkets, or look online to fnd out how to make caramel using condensed milk.

    

   This recipe first appeared in marie claire magazine.