Chocolate Caramel Tart

Yesterday was so snowy and nasty out that I decided to spend some time working on my Chocolate Caramel Tart recipe.  This is an amazing tart!  I keep working on it hoping to get it perfect.  Its getting there slowly.

Chocolate Crust

1 1/4 C flour
1/4 C cocoa
1/4 C sugar
4 oz cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk
1 T ice water 

Place the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add butter and pulse to break up the butter into pea-sized pieces. Add the yolk and ice water and pulse a few more times until the dough begins to look crumbly. It looks like it will not hold together, it is too powdery.  But once you start working it you can see it start to come together.

Dump the dough on a clean work surface and smearing parts of the dough across the work surface with the heel or palm of your hand. This is a great technique that essentially flattens the butter and coats it in flour, producing that all-important flakiness. Be careful not to overmix. Fraisage or smear the dough just 3 or 4 times (depending on the amount of dough you're working with) and then gather and fold the dough back on itself. Form into a disk and wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.

Roll between 2 pieces of parchment to an 1/8 inch. Line tart pan, patching as you go if necessary. Chill the shell for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Prick the bottom of the tart shells with the tines of a fork and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Caramel Filling

1 1⁄2 cups sugar
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 tbsp. heavy cream

In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, water and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer inserted into the syrup reads 300°. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter and cream, (the mixture will bubble up) until smooth. Pour caramel into cooled tart shell and let cool slightly; refrigerate until firm.

Ganache
 
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Make the ganache: Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate until set.

The crust turned out perfect!  Exactly what I was looking for in a crust.  The caramel filling which ALWAYS  works for me decided to revolt today.  It seized up after being poured in the crust.  It is more like a fudge than a caramel filling.  Not sure what I did wrong!! It still tastes good though and it looks great!  lol

Guesss I get to try making it again......I gotta get it perfect!  lol