These decadent Mini Caramel Chocolate Tarts combine some homemade tartlet shells, a gooey salted caramel filling and intense dark chocolate ganache topping. Perfect for a party or special occasion!
Place the sifted Plain Flour, Icing Sugar and Salt in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse for a few seconds to mix. Add the very cold cubed Butter and blend until you get very small crumbs of butter (see note 1).
Add the Egg and mix until a rough dough starts to come together (see note 2).
Bring the dough into a ball and place between two large sheets of baking paper. Lightly flatten it with your hands then use a rolling pin to roll into a large disk that is about 3 to 4mm thick (1/6 to 1/8 inch). Place on a flat tray in the fridge to chill and rest for at least one hour, or overnight.
Take the dough out of the fridge and remove the baking paper. With a round cookie cutter, cut out disks of pastry that are a bit larger than the tartlet pans you are using. I used Mini Tart Pans that are 7 cm (1/4 inch) wide and cut out the disks of pastry that are about 10 to 12 cm (3/8 to 1/2 inch) wide.
Line the tartlet pans with the pastry, gently sliding it down the sides of the pan. Press on the edge between the side and bottom to make sure the pastry is flush with the pan. Place in the fridge to chill again for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Excess dough can be re-rolled and chilled for at least 2 hours to make more tartlet crusts.
Preheat your oven on 160 degree Celsius / 325 degree Fahrenheit. Dock the bottom of the pastry (poke the pastry with a small fork). Cover each crust with a little bit of crunched baking paper then fill with baking weights, dried beans or rice.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and baking paper and bake for an additional 12 to 15 minutes, or until the bottom should be dry to the touch and the edges are lightly golden. Leave to cool down completely.
Salted Caramel
Place the Caster Sugar and Water in a medium to large size heavy-bottom saucepan. Stir with a spatula to evenly distribute the water then turn on low heat.
Leave the sugar to slowly melt without touching it. It will start to boil and turn into large, clear bubbles. Continue to cook the sugar until its colour starts turning orange to light brown, almost amber - about 5 to 10 minute (see note 3).
Carefully pour in the room temperature or lukewarm Cream; it will start bubbling a lot and rise quickly in the saucepan so be very careful not to get burnt. Using a heat-proof spatula, vigorously stir until all the cream has been incorporated and you get a smooth and shiny sauce (see note 4).
Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool down for 5 minutes. Stir in the Butter until fully melted and incorporated, then the Sea Salt and Vanilla.
Transfer the caramel filling into a clean jug (or a pastry bag) and pour it into the cool tartlet crusts, filling about 2/3 of their depths. Gently tap the tarts on a hard surface to pop any air bubble and place in the fridge to set for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Ganache Topping
Finely chop the Cooking Chocolate (or use couverture chocolate callets / pistoles). Place in a small heat-proof bowl and put in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute - or until the bottom of the chocolate has started to melt slightly (see note 5).
Mix the Cream and Honey in a small saucepan. Turn on low heat and bring to a simmer. Pour over the partially melted chocolate and leave for 2 minutes.
Using a stiff spatula, gently stir in a circular motion to mix the cream and chocolate. Keep stirring until the chocolate has completely melted and incorporated with the cream. You should get a smooth, shiny ganache (see note 6).
Place the ganache in a pastry bag, cut out the tip to create a small opening and pipe it over the caramel layer. Gently tap the tartlet on a hard surface then tip it around to help the ganache spread out evenly. Alternatively, drizzle the chocolate over the caramel for a different look.
Optionally, finish with a sprinkle of Flaky Sea Salt and some Cocoa Nibs.
Place back in the fridge to set for at leat 1 hour, or up to 24 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
The larger the crumbs, the flakier the pastry will be. For this recipe, we do not want too much flakiness so make sure the crumbs are very small and the mixture almost looks like sand.
To know the pastry has been mixed enough, press together some of the crumbs in your hand. If they stick together, the pastry is ready. If the crumbs don't stick together or the pastry seems to be quite dry, add a few drops of very cold water and mix until you get the desired consistency.
Be careful with how much you cook the sugar, and use a candy thermometer if needed. The caramel will start to burn at around 180 degree Celsius (350 degree Fahrenheit) so you don't want to go any higher. Make sure to leave the sugar completely undisturbed while it is melting as any disturbance might cause the caramel to seize or crystallise.
Caramel will be very hot at this point and if the cream is too cold, it could start splashing around and crystallise the sugar. Be very careful not to get burn (and I don't recommend making caramel with children around).
We are not trying to fully melt the chocolate here, just to soften it slightly so that it emulsify easily with the warm cream.
If you still notice small pieces of unmelted chocolate, place the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds.