Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate Tarte

This classic tarte is as indulgent as it is pretty. A generous sprinkling of flaked salt over the chocolate ganache is a welcome balance to the sweetness.

Ingredients

For the pastry crust:

• 170g plain flour

• 120g salted butter, at room temperature

• 58g Icing sugar

• 25g cocoa powder

• 1 egg yolk

• 1tsp vanilla extract

For the caramel:

• 200g caster sugar

• 118ml water

• 1/4 cup agave nectar

• 110 unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup cream

• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche

• pinch of salt

For the chocolate ganache:

• 112g dark chocolate

• 3/4 cup double cream

Method

For the tarte shell:

In a large bowl, whip the butter until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and icing sugar, and continue beating until incorporated and a smooth paste. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until combined.

Add flour, and beat until fully combined.

Pour the dough into an 8 inch tart case, and with your fingers, push it down and spread it to fill the case evenly, at the bottom and up the sides.

Pre-heat oven to 190ºc (fan)

Line the tarte casing with foil and fill it with caster sugar, ensuring that pastry is fully covered. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and save sugar for later, then put pastry back into the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until pastry is fully baked and dry - be careful not to over bake as chocolate colour can be misleading.

When finished, remove from oven and set on a cooling rack to fully cool.

To prepare the caramel, in a medium heavy bottomed pan in medium-low heat, place the sugar, water and agave nectar. Allow to cook, never stirring, until sugar is dissolved and the caramel has reduced to a light honey consistency, and is a medium amber colour. You may swirl the pan from time to time to help the mixture along.

Once it has achieved the desired consistency, lower heat to lowest setting add the salt, Creme fraiche, cream and butter, whisking continuously as the mixture bubbles and then settles down, into a thick creamy caramel. Continue slowly whisking until the caramel has thickened.

Pour caramel into the cooled down pastry shell and allow to cool and set for 2 hours.

To make the chocolate ganache, break the chocolate into small pieces Into a bowl. Heat the cream in a small pan at medium-low heat, until steaming hot, but do not allow it to bubble. Take off heat, and pour over chocolate. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then with a rubber spatula, stir the mixture until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is creamy and homogenous.

Pour over the caramel tarte, pushing the ganache around until it covers the caramel fully until all the edges.

Place tarte in fridge for at least 3 hours.

Before serving, sprinkle flaked sea salt (I use Maldon Salt), and serve chilled so that tarte cuts clean.