For the Oscars I thought it would be fun to do a dessert with some bling! There’s nothing like adding gold leaf to a decadent chocolate caramel tart to make it worthy of a black tie affair. I was cozied up in my pajamas with a room full of my girlfriends, but despite our lack of proper attire we sipped champagne and ate gold leaf.
I had lofty aspirations of seeing all of the nominated films, but alas life got in the way and I only saw a couple of them. The film getting all the buzz this year is Slumdog Millionaire, and it is one that I saw. I must say I loved it! The movie, set in India, was complicated, gritty, suspenseful, endearing and touching. All of the qualities that a great movie should have. This movie, along with the newest addition to my cookbook collection La Maison du Chocolat*, was the inspiration for this chocolate tart with chai caramel. I started with the classic combination of chocolate and caramel, but I added the spices of India to the mix.
Cheers and may your favorite film win!
Chocolate Tart with Chai Caramel
Makes 6-8 Individual Chocolate Tarts from La Maison du Chocolat. Follow along and get the full recipe below.
To make the pastry:
Place the butter and confectioners’ sugar in a mixer and blend until smooth. Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time and scrape down bowl after each. Add the flour and mix quickly, do not overwork the dough.
Form the dough into a log that is about 2-inches thick. Wrap really well in plastic and refrigerate for about 2 hours. This can be made days ahead and even frozen.
Once the dough is chilled cut off a 1/4-inch thick slice and roll it very thin, about 1/16-inch.
Place the dough in your individual Tartlet Mold (SMALL FLAN RING or even English Muffin Rings work well). You will get about 6-8 tarts depending on the size of your pans. Once all of your molds are filled, refrigerate the dough and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Fill the chilled dough with foil and Pie Weights ( I use a combination of beans and pie weights. I like the way the weights conduct heat and help with even baking, bu they are expensive so I do a combo!)
Bake for about 20-25 minutes. They are done when they are light golden. Let the tart shells cool at room temperature.
Make the ganache:
Place the chopped chocolate in large bowl. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise down the middle and scrape out the seeds. Put the heavy cream in a sauce pot on medium heat. Place the vanilla bean and seeds in the cream, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate to the cream, remove the vanilla bean. Make sure all the chocolate is submerged in the hot cream. Let sit for about 3 minutes then stir gently until perfectly smooth.
Pour the ganache directly into the tart shells. Don’t fill all the way to the top, you need to leave room for the caramel. If the ganache sets up before you are ready then just spoon it into the tart shells and smooth it out with a small spatula.
Allow ganache to set at room temperature.
Make the chai caramel:
In a medium sauce pot bring the sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil. Be careful not to get sugar on the sides of the pot or you may get crystallization. Without stirring, allow to boil until the caramel just starts to turn color. Add the spices and stir slightly until the caramel turns a nice amber color. I like a darker caramel, but you will determine what is right for you.
Carefully add the tea to the hot caramel. It will sputter so be careful.
Add the butter, salt and then the sour cream.
Stir until smooth. Allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes until it is thick. If you add to the chocolate tart when it is still hot you will melt the ganache.
Spoon the caramel on the tarts.
Using a dry, clean paint brush add the gold leaf to the tart. Sprinkle with a bit of the sea salt.
I served the chocolate tart with chai caramel with a bit of blackberry coulis! Do not refrigerate the tarts or the pastry will get soggy.
Let me know if your favorite movie won!
* Thanks for the beautiful book Jen!!!
Happy Mardi Gras!!! If you flambé bananas on top of this tart you will have the ultimate Bananas Foster! 😉
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temp
- ½ cup plus 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar
- 1 egg, room temp
- 1 egg yolk, room temp
- 2 cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Ganache
- 6 ½ oz bittersweet chocolate
- 2 oz milk chocolate
- ½ vanilla bean
- ½ cup heavy cream
Chai Caramel
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp corn syrup
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 whole cardamon pods
- 2 tbsp black tea, strongly brewed
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- pinch salt
- ⅓ cup sour cream
Garnish
- Edible Gold Leaf Get it here
- Coarse Salt
Instructions
Pastry
- Place the butter and confectioners’ sugar in a mixer and blend until smooth. Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time and scrape down bowl after each. Add the flour and mix quickly, do not overwork the dough.
- Form the dough into a log that is about 2-inches thick. Wrap really well in plastic and refrigerate for about 2 hours. This can be made days ahead and even frozen.
- Once the dough is chilled cut off a 1/4-inch thick slice and roll it very thin, about 1/16-inch.
- Place the dough in your individual Tartlet Mold (SMALL FLAN RING or even English Muffin Rings work well). You will get about 6-8 tarts depending on the size of your pans. Once all of your molds are filled, refrigerate the dough and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Fill the chilled dough with foil and Pie Weights ( I use a combination of beans and pie weights. I like the way the weights conduct heat and help with even baking, bu they are expensive so I do a combo!)
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes. They are done when they are light golden. Let the tart shells cool at room temperature.
Ganache
- Place the chopped chocolate in large bowl. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise down the middle and scrape out the seeds. Put the heavy cream in a sauce pot on medium heat. Place the vanilla bean and seeds in the cream, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate to the cream, remove the vanilla bean. Make sure all the chocolate is submerged in the hot cream. Let sit for about 3 minutes then stir gently until perfectly smooth.
- Pour the ganache directly into the tart shells. Don’t fill all the way to the top, you need to leave room for the caramel. If the ganache sets up before you are ready then just spoon it into the tart shells and smooth it out with a small spatula.
- Allow ganache to set at room temperature.
Chai Caramel
- In a medium sauce pot bring the sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil. Be careful not to get sugar on the sides of the pot or you may get crystallization. Without stirring, allow to boil until the caramel just starts to turn color. Add the spices and stir slightly until the caramel turns a nice amber color. I like a darker caramel, but you will determine what is right for you.
- Carefully add the tea to the hot caramel. It will sputter so be careful. Add the butter, salt and then the sour cream. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes until it is thick. If you add to the chocolate tart when it is still hot you will melt the ganache.
- Spoon the caramel on the tarts.
- Using a dry, clean paint brush add the gold leaf to the tart. Sprinkle with a bit of the sea salt.
Can’t think of a more suitable dessert for the Oscars. Love the taste combination! Looks sooo good, I cant stop drooling (sorry!).
What a beautiful dessert! I’m a big chai fan, so I’d love to try making it . . . or at least the chai caramel for another dessert combination. Please let us know spices/quantity (not in recipe) to add to the caramel, though the photo gives an idea. Also, a few days ago I baked the Devil’s Food recipe into a layer cake with the cream cheese frosting. . . much appreciated by the birthday celebrant and all others! Thanks a lot!
What an elegant dessert! Totally worthy of the red carpet! I’ll be watching in my pj’s too! See you there!
I love your Bling!
those look so delicious… and I love the gold leaf! brilliant Zoe 🙂
Those look so perfect for the evening!
Wow. These look AMAZING. Hope you had a great night with the girls!
The tart is beautiful! I love the idea of adding sour cream or creme fraiche to the caramel (I’m bad for always using heavy cream).
What a perfect and delicious treat for Oscar night–or any other night!
I’ve got a recipe for something similar with a sable to this from Julian Rose when he came to do a chocolate class here. I’ve not gotten around to making it but will once I get a tart pan. I’ll just have to watch out for the cream being added to the hot sugar (I’ve heard burn stories).
Hi Zoe – Beautiful as always. Now that Sweet Celebrations is closed, where does one find gold leaf?
Those look absolutely divine!
That last picture is deadly delicious! very mouth-watering and worth an oscar!
Definitely an award winning dish!
Hi Matthew,
Do be careful adding the sour cream or anything else to hot caramel. Just add it slowly and use a long handled whisk or spoon.
Hi Bret,
I put a link to the gold leaf on the site for Amazon. You may be able so get it locally, but I’m not sure where???
Thanks! Zoë
Wow!! Your tarts are looking damn pretty. Feel like grabing one from your pics..:)
These are fit for an Oscar night indeed! Love La Maison du Chocolat! Perfect touch of bling.
Some very impressive works! Love how you share your step-by-step photos!
Thanks for posting these jewels!
Oh holy yum does that look tasty. The chocolate tart is one of my favorite things to get when I am (all too rarely) visiting Paris. This one looks just as good with even more glamour–I’ve got to try to recreate this at home!
gorgeous!
This sounds amazing, I love chai spices! I’m sure they go great with caramel.
Holy cow, that looks awesome! Very glamorous!
Very creative!
I have had chocolate bars made with sweet Indian curry that were fantastic.
THAT looks like a great idea lady!! So glad that the book brought a little bit of something to your thinking…figured it would! I think we need to get together so I can try these out! 🙂
Tasty and elegant dessert for the oscars! The gold leaf makes them extra special, perfect for a girl’s night in :).
What a stunning dessert, perfect for Oscars night!Your chai caramel is full of ingredients I adore. Thanks for sharing!
So spunky! Love it. I bet it tasted even better than it looks.
I made this tart over the last weekend and it was lovely and luscious. My family was quite happy. I am going to write a short piece about it this week for my blog. It was the perfect chocolate/caramel combination. Thank-you!
Chai caramel sounds awesome, and gold leaf? Very very glam!
How many “normal” sized tarts would this make? I’m guessing the cooking times would change as well.
Hi Matthew,
I’d say a 9″ tart with a bit left over!
Zoë
I am always to find more recipes that use chai spice. It is one of my favorites for tarts, ice cream, scones, anything edible. Thanks for this recipe