Chocolate & Caramel Tart

Shortcrust pastry

240 gr. plain flour

60 gr. caster sugar

140 gr. unsalted butter, chilled, coarsely chopped

40 gr. almond powder

Caramel

225 gr. white sugar

80 ml. thickened cream

70 gr. butter, coarsely chopped

Chocolate filling

330 gr. dark chocolate coarsely chopped

180 ml. fresh cream 48%

80 gr. unsalted butter, softened

12 ml. cointreau


For shortcrust pastry, process flour, almond powder and sugar in a food processor to combine, add butter and pulse until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add 2 tbsp chilled water and process until mixture just comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 190C. Roll out pastry to 5mm thick on a lightly floured surface, line a 26cm-diameter tart tin and refrigerate for 1 hour. Blind bake for 20 minutes (see note), then remove paper and weights and bake until golden (8-10 minutes). Cool in tin on a wire rack.

For caramel, combine sugar and 250ml water in a heavy-based saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and cook, brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush if sugar crystals form, until mixture is deep golden (10-15 minutes). Remove from heat, add cream and butter and stir to combine (be careful as mixture will spit). Pour into pastry base and refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours).

Combine chocolate and cream in a small saucepan, stir over low heat until chocolate melts, remove from heat, add butter,cointreau and stir to combine. Cool to room temperature, then spread over the caramel.

Refrigerate until set (30-40 minutes).



Tip: If you want, add 50 gr. of your choice nuts in caramel filling.