Chocolate caramel tart with toasted walnuts

    Recipe updated january 2019

  September arrived and i didn't realize until these days, and it's almost the middle of the month.The days are shorter the nights are longer but the weather is still warm. I didn't see dried leaves yet sign that summer is still here.
They say autumn begins when school starts but seems different this year. I know the countdown until fall sets started when september arrived although i hope there are a few more warm sunny weeks still ahead.
Now let me tell you about this tart.


As you can imagine, i'm a chocolate lover but not that kind of person who eats an entire bar of chocolate in less than 10 minutes.

I can spend weeks without craving it but i like to enjoy a piece of chocolate now and then. And if i should choose between a chocolate bar and a chocolate cake i would choose the cake or in this case the tart.

A while ago i saw some chocolate crust recipes on pinterest and i was intrigued and sceptical at the same time! Never thought to make a chocolate crust so,obviously i had to give it a try. Once i've decided to give it a go my mind started to find possible flavor pairings and then i remembered that my favorite chocolate pairing is caramel!!!!Sounds delish,isn't it!
When i imagined this tart i wanted a tender chocolate crust , a creamy and sticky caramel filling and a rich chocolate layer on top.
That part with toasted walnuts came out later and it is a clever addition because that crunchiness add an amazing texture and flavor to this decadent tart! 

yield 6-8 slices


Chocolate crust:

• 200g all-purpose flour
• 35g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 110g unsalted butter,cold and cut into small cubes)
• 1tbsp castor sugar
• 1 M/L egg(55-60 grams)
• 2-3 tbsp ice water
• pinch of salt

Caramel layer:

• 100g white chocolate(very good quality),chopped
• 100ml heavy cream
• 3tbsp dulche de leche
• 2tsp nescafe classic instant coffee

Chocolate glaze:

• 120g dark chocolate(I used 55% cocoa content),chopped
• 100 ml heavy cream
• 1tsp nescafe classic instant coffee

For decoration:

• toasted walnuts,finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

For the crust:

• Place the flour,cocoa powder,sugar,salt and the cubed butter in a large bowl.With a pastry cutter or a fork cut the butter until crumbly.
• Add the egg and 2-3 tablespoons of ice water,one at a time, and mix until the dough comes together(carefully not to overwork it) . Add an additional 1 tablespoon of cold water,if necessary.
• Transfer dough onto a work surface and flatten the dough into a disk,wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF(convection/fan forced mode)
• Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and place it onto a work surface sprinkled with flour.
• Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and roll it out into a 0,5cm thick.
• Transfer the dough to a approx. 9 inch (23cm) tart pan with a removable bottom and gently press the dough over the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
• Trim the overhanging dough,cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 min.
• After this time,remove the pan from the fridge,prick the dough with a fork, line with parchment paper and fill with beans or rice and bake for 10 minutes at 190ºC ,then remove the beans,lower the temperature to 180ºC and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the pastry is lightly browned.  
• Allow to cool completely before making the filling.

For the caramel layer:

• Place white chocolate and dulce de leche in a bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan.
• When the cream begins to boil remove from heat,pour over the chocolate mixture and stir with a wire whisk until smooth.If dulce de leche doesn't melt,place the bowl over a bain marie and stir until smooth.
• Add the nescafe instant coffee and mix well to combine.Let the caramel mixture cool slightly before pouring over the chocolate crust. Spread it evenly and chill for at least 4 hours.

For the chocolate glaze:

• Heat the cream in a small saucepan.When the cream begins to boil remove from heat and pour over the chocolate.Add the nescafe and stir with a wire whisk until smooth.
• Remove the tart from the refrigerator and pour the chocolate mixture over caramel layer.Spread it evenly and sprinkle with toasted walnuts.Refrigerate for another 4 hours before serving.

That's all, folks!
Enjoy!

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If you make this recipe,please let me know how it turned out!
Post your version on  instagram,tag @lady.j.bakes or leave me a comment below!