Delicate Tartlets with Salted Caramel and Chocolate
·Make the dough ahead
Prepare the dough for the shells a day in advance, so it has time to rest properly in the fridge.
Making the dough
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and work into a smooth, non-sticky dough. Add a little more flour if needed. If the dough seems too dry, add just a splash of cold water. Wrap the finished dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge.
Cutting out the rounds
The next day, take out the dough and press it into the prepared tartlet molds. Alternatively, roll the dough into a sheet, cut out rounds, and press these into the molds. The dough should be an even thickness throughout — about 3–4 mm for tartlets.
Bake
Bake in an oven preheated to 175 °C for 10–15 minutes. Baking time depends on the size of the shells. The dough should turn golden but shouldn't get too dark. Remove the shells from the molds and let them cool.
Caramel filling
Put the sugar into a large non-stick pot. It's best if the pot is wide but not too deep, so the sugar can caramelize over a large surface area.
Medium heat
Turn on the burner and let the sugar melt slowly. Medium, slightly-above-medium heat is enough — don't turn the heat up to full, or the caramel will burn.
Stir it through
Once most of the sugar has melted and starts to darken, stir the caramel with a wooden spoon. Don't worry — some recipes suggest not stirring, but it's better to have a few lumps in the caramel (they'll melt anyway) than to end up with burnt caramel.
Careful, it spatters
Take the pot off the heat and add the butter to the caramel. It will spatter, so be careful! Stir it in, then mix in the hot cream. Return to the heat and cook gently together until any lumps have dissolved.
Add salt for salted caramel
Set the caramel aside for a moment to cool slightly. Season with salt — start with just one teaspoon, taste, then add more salt to taste, until the salted caramel flavor is just right for you.
Fill the shells
Spoon the caramel into the prepared shells, but only fill them halfway (some can be filled all the way). Chill in the fridge until the caramel has set.
Fill the top half with chocolate
Bring the cream to a boil in a pot on the stove. Remove from the heat and break the chocolate into it. Let stand for five minutes, then whisk until you get a smooth chocolate cream. Pour this over the tartlets, on top of the set caramel, to fill them the rest of the way.
Decorate and let rest
Decorate the tops of the tartlets with nuts, chocolate, fruit — whatever you like. The tartlets taste best after resting for at least 24 hours.
