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Chocolate Tart With Chai Caramel
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Chocolate Tart with Chai Caramel

This chocolate tart with chair caramel comes with some glitz and glam from some edible gold leaf. This is a fun and beautiful dessert that looks as good as it tastes.
Author: Zoë François

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

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.