Chocolate Caramel Tart

Recipe from Gramercy Tavern

Adapted by Amanda Hesser

Chocolate Caramel Tart
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
5(2,872)
Comments
Read comments

It is hard to believe in this day and age – when salted caramel ice cream is almost as ubiquitous as vanilla – that desserts in which salt plays a starring role was once a newfangled concept. This recipe, an adaptation of one attributed to the pastry chef Claudia Fleming, came to The Times in a 2000 article by Amanda Hesser about the development of that very trend, and it is a perfect example of how it's done right. Layers of silky caramel and dark chocolate ganache topped with a sprinkling of crunchy, snow-white fleur de sel make this an unforgettable combination of flavors and textures. —Amanda Hesser

Featured in: There's a New Flavor in Town and It's . . . Salt; Dessert Traditions Go Over the Shoulder

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:10-inch tart (12 to 16 servings)

    For the Chocolate Dough

    • ½cup (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
    • ½cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
    • ¼cup unsweetened cocoa
    • 1large egg yolk
    • ¾teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1¼cups all-purpose flour

    For the Caramel Filling

    • 2cups sugar
    • ½cup water
    • ¼cup corn syrup
    • ½cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
    • ½cup heavy cream
    • 2tablespoons creme fraiche (available at specialty food markets)
    • PInch of salt

    For the Chocolate Glaze

    • 3½ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate (70 to 85%), chopped
    • ½cup heavy cream
    • Fleur de sel
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)

407 calories; 22 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 42 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 243 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare chocolate dough: In bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Beat until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until blended.

  2. Step 2

    Sift flour into dough mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch tart pan. (You can use a 9-inch pan, but the crust will be thicker and the caramel may take longer to set in step 4.)

  3. Step 3

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line tart with foil, and fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, and bake until pastry is dry and set, another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

  4. Step 4

    Prepare caramel filling: In a large saucepan, bring sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil. Stir or swirl the pan occasionally, until mixture is a medium amber color, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Caramel will continue to cook and darken off of the heat. Carefully but quickly whisk in the butter, cream, creme fraiche and salt until smooth (mixture will bubble up). Pour hot caramel into tart, and allow to cool and set, at least 1 hour.

  5. Step 5

    Prepare chocolate glaze: Place chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Pour glaze over tart, tilting tart for even coverage. Refrigerate until tart is set, at least one hour, then sprinkle with a few granules of fleur de sel. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
2,872 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

P Walker

1. Dough will shrink - leave a bit (maybe .5 inch) above the tart border, and fold up a bit to create a nice ledge (and it allows for a bit more caramel and chocolate - who doesn't like that?)
2. Large saucepan for caramel - think of using a soup pan (HUGE) as the bubbles and growth of the caramel is quite high once the cream and butter are added. The soup pan prevented anything from bubbling over and out.

Xacko

A stick of butter is 4 ounces or 113 grams. By the way, Google is a sure-fire way to find the answer to a question like "How many grams is an American stick of butter?"

JC

Any chance of metric measurements?

The tart looks delicious, but terms like '1 stick of butter' is as useful as saying "bake while the sun lies betwixt the yard-arm and fo'c'sle".

Danielle

Has anyone tried substituting canned coconut milk for the heavy cream? Or other substitutions to make this dairy free?

Sandy V.

OMG! Christmas dinner. People were almost swooning , said it looked and tasted like something from a high-end bakery. Creamy caramel, silky ganache, and a bit of salt as a conterpoint to all the sweetness. My only complaint about the recipe, as others have mentioned, was that I wassn't sure how long to cook the caramel, and it was a bit runny,but no one seemed to mind. Next time I will look at the comments first.

estinette

Recipe turned out great! Only complaint is that when the tart is sliced and sitting out like at a party, the caramel starts to ooze out as it thaws and the tart falls flat…

Private comments are only visible to you.

Credits

Adapted from Gramercy Tavern

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.