I had a dream one night about a tart with a chocolate layer on top of a caramel layer. I don’t normally dream about desserts, but I knew I had to search out a recipe for this one. I looked, but didn’t find anything that matched what I saw in my head. And then, the August Daring Bakers challenge was announced and it was the tart from my dream!
The only thing I needed to buy for this recipe was a tart pan. I went to Williams Sonoma because I wanted a nice pan. Cost – $18.00
I was making this for a family gathering. I made the crust Wednesday evening, then baked the tart Thursday evening. I was rushed and it showed in the final product. It tasted good, but I knew it could be better. Because the crust recipe makes enough for three crusts, I jumped at the chance to make it again for a barbecue. This time I took my time, corrected my mistakes and voila! It turned out so much better.
For the full recipe, visit Veronica or Patricia.
Milk Chocolate and Caramel Tart
The crust is a chocolate shortbread pastry that was made the day before, then refrigerated. First step, grind the hazelnuts.
This wasn’t a traditional crust recipe, it had more of a cookie dough like consistency until the cake flour was added.
The next day, I rolled the crust out and pressed it into the pan. Off to the oven!
I caramelized the sugar using the dry method first. It would have been fine except the pan I used wasn’t wide enough. I think. Either way, the sugar didn’t fully crystallize and I rushed it and added the cream which wasn’t room temp so it seized.
Try #2 with the alternate caramel method worked perfectly and my cream was room temp this time. But, I didn’t let the caramel cool before adding in the egg/flour mixture. Consequently, it went into the oven a little too hot and never really set.
The chocolate mousse didn’t turn out so well either. I cooled the chocolate too much. When I folded it into the whip cream it froze into little chocolate chips. Bah. It tasted good though!
On Saturday I made the tart again, this time cooling the caramel before adding the egg/flour mixture, and not cooling the chocolate so much. Perfection! I also made sure to roll my crust a little thinner so my layers could be more even.
My Lime Green Kitchen 
August 29, 2007 at 11:21 am |
Your tart is certainly perfection. I love the gorgeous ,delicous-looking layers!
August 29, 2007 at 11:30 am |
I think your tart looks beautiful and tasted delicious!
August 29, 2007 at 2:09 pm |
I admire your stamina! Well done, love the layers!
August 29, 2007 at 2:15 pm |
You just solved my problem for me!! I couldn’t figure out why my mousse wasn’t working, and someone suggested that my chocolate could have been too hot. I think it was too cool!!! I feel so relieved now, knowing the answer! Your tart looks great – your caramel layer is perfect!
August 29, 2007 at 4:03 pm |
I think I also had the same problem with my chocolate being too cool. I also had little bits of chocolate throughout. I’m glad you were able to make slight corrections to the second tart. It looks perfect.
August 29, 2007 at 5:30 pm |
Wonderful post and your tart couldn’t be any better. Love how the crust turned out beautufully for you 🙂 well done!
August 29, 2007 at 5:44 pm |
That chocolate mousse looks so nice and fluffy. Great photos!
August 29, 2007 at 7:48 pm |
Isn’t it great when dreams come true! Beautiful tart!
August 29, 2007 at 10:32 pm |
Very nice. Good for you to have the patience to try again and work out the kinks.
August 29, 2007 at 10:35 pm |
Two tarts! and you can really see the changes in the second one. Such lovely layers and creamy looking caramel and fluffy mousse. Yummy!!
August 30, 2007 at 1:14 am |
Way to photograph all the steps, that is a nice touch. Well done.
August 30, 2007 at 2:46 am |
Ah, the second one looks great! Thanks for all the photos!
August 30, 2007 at 4:23 am |
Wow. to have had the patience to do it twice! Well done and the tart certainly looks great!
August 30, 2007 at 6:02 am |
I think yours turned out brilliantly. I love all your pics too!
August 30, 2007 at 11:15 am |
Wow – 3 times! Dedication, for sure =) How funny that you dreamed it first.. what are you dreaming for September?? I hope it’s as yummy as this month’s tart! hee!
Well I think both tarts pictured are gorgeous – and I love the beautiful layers you got on the third one!
way to go!
xoxo
August 30, 2007 at 12:05 pm |
Two whole tarts- wow. You have a “do it till its right” attitude. Good for you. Your tart looks great. Your crust is so even and thin. Wendy
August 30, 2007 at 12:35 pm |
Great job and bravo for your perseverance! The tart looks great! Hey, now that you have psychic powers…what’s cooking for September?
August 30, 2007 at 12:36 pm |
Both versions look good, but you can really see the difference between them. It’s amazing what a little practice and experience can do!
August 30, 2007 at 1:38 pm |
I love the progress your blog shows as you applied what you learned. The second one looks so creamy!
August 30, 2007 at 6:06 pm |
That’s a fascinating whisk/stirrer thing you have. I’ve never seen one before.
August 30, 2007 at 11:43 pm |
Mine solidified into little chocolate chunks too. But it still looks great! Well done!
August 31, 2007 at 1:24 am |
Its a shame about your topping, but I bet it still tasted great. Probably added a nice texture to the topping. It looks yummy.
August 31, 2007 at 6:50 am |
Wow, you made this tart twice! Such dedication to the DBs!
August 31, 2007 at 7:18 am |
Good for you to tackle it twice! It looks luscious.
August 31, 2007 at 10:51 am |
Renata – I used to work at a gourmet cooking store and we would get random stuff for meeting sales goals. I’ve had that whisk/stirrer thing for years and never really knew what to use it for. Works perfectly for caramel when your other whisk is dirty!
August 31, 2007 at 1:34 pm |
Erin now you know, dreams really do come true. Beautiful job on the tart. It’s worth doing this one twice.
Beautiful tart.
August 31, 2007 at 1:45 pm |
What a difference a little experience makes – your two tarts look completely different from each other!
September 1, 2007 at 9:20 pm |
Wow -your perseverance paid off! Great job!
September 4, 2007 at 7:15 pm |
You did it, despite the setbacks. THAT is the mark of perfection!
September 8, 2007 at 5:26 pm |
WOW! 2 tarts!!! Great job on the challenge (both times!)
February 16, 2018 at 1:01 am |
[…] from reading other Daring Baker’s blogs. I learned why my mousse didn’t work – my chocolate was too cool. I learned to add the butter to the caramel before the cream to prevent it from seizing. I learned […]