Chocolate Caramel Tart With Drunken Raspberries And Vanilla Crème Fraîche Recipes

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Butter 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add 1/2 cup butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks; process until moist clumps form. Add cocoa nibs; blend in using on/off turns. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on rack while preparing caramel filling.
• Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until mixture is deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Add butter and stir over low heat until caramel is completely smooth. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; stir in salt. Cool 10 minutes. Pour warm caramel into crust. Let stand at room temperature until completely cool, about 45 minutes.
• Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Let stand until slightly cooled but still pourable, about 10 minutes. Pour ganache evenly over caramel filling. Refrigerate tart uncovered until chocolate is firm, about 2 hours. do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
• Brush top of tart with gold dust, if desired. Cut tart into thin slices. Arrange 1 slice on each plate. Spoon berries and crème fraîche alongside.
• *Bits of shelled roasted cocoa beans; available at many specialty foods stores or from chocosphere.com.

Steps:

• CRUST:.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F.
• Butter 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
• Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor.
• Add 1/2 cup butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add egg yolks; process until moist clumps form.
• Add cocoa nibs; blend in using on/off turns.
• Press dough onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan.
• Bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Cool in pan on rack while preparing caramel filling.
• FOR CARAMEL FILLING:.
• Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan.
• Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until mixture is deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 7 minutes.
• Remove from heat; add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously).
• Add butter and stir over low heat until caramel is completely smooth.
• Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; stir in salt.
• Cool 10 minutes.
• Pour warm caramel into crust.
• Let stand at room temperature until completely cool, about 45 minutes.
• FOR GANACHE:.
• Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan.
• Remove from heat; add chocolate.
• Whisk until smooth.
• Let stand until slightly cooled but still pourable, about 10 minutes.
• Pour ganache evenly over caramel filling.
• Refrigerate tart uncovered until chocolate is firm, about 2 hours.(Can be made 2 days ahead.).
• Cover and refrigerate.
• DRUNKEN RASPBERRIES:.
• Combine raspberries & liqueur in a small bowl; soak at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours, prepare ahead.(Can be made 1 day ahead.).
• Cover; chill.
• VANILLA CREME FRAICHE:.
• Spoon creme fraiche into small bowl; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and stir to blend. (Can be made 1 day ahead.).
• Cover and refrigerate.
• ASSEMBLY:.
• Brush top of tart with gold dust, if desired. (It really does make the tart look beautiful - it's like putting a bow on the wrapped present.).
• Cut tart into thin slices.
• Arrange 1 slice on each plate.
• Spoon berries and creme fraiche alongside.
• *Cocoa Nibs are shelled roasted cocoa beans; available at many specialty foods stores.

Steps:

• To make the pastry, put the flour and almonds in a bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. You can do this in the food processor. Stir in the sugar. Add the egg yolk and 1 tbsp of cold water and mix to form a firm dough. Knead briefly, then wrap in cling film and chill for 15-20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to fan 170C/ conventional 190C/gas 5. Roll out the dough and use to line a 24cm flan tin. Trim off the excess pastry, then line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 7-10 minutes until crisp and golden. Leave to cool.
• To make the filling, melt the chocolate in a microwave on Medium for 2 minutes. Put the egg whites and sugar in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk for 5 minutes until thick, white and glossy. Remove from the heat and whisk for a further couple of minutes to cool it.
• Whisk the cream until it just holds its shape. Fold the chocolate and cream into the egg mixture, then add the brandy. Pour into the pastry case and smooth the top. Chill until set for about 20 minutes.
• To serve, whip the remaining cream until just stiff. Put a thin slice of tart on each plate. Spoon some cream on top and scatter with raspberries and blueberries. Dust with icing sugar.

Steps:

• Combine raspberries and liqueur in small bowl. Let soak at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

Steps:

• Prepare chocolate dough: In bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Beat until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until blended.
• Sift flour into dough mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch tart pan. (You can use a 9-inch pan, but the crust will be thicker and the caramel may take longer to set in step 4.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line tart with foil, and fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, and bake until pastry is dry and set, another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Prepare caramel filling: In a large saucepan, bring sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil. Stir or swirl the pan occasionally, until mixture is a medium amber color, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Caramel will continue to cook and darken off of the heat. Carefully but quickly whisk in the butter, cream, creme fraiche and salt until smooth (mixture will bubble up). Pour hot caramel into tart, and allow to cool and set, at least 1 hour.
• Prepare chocolate glaze: Place chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Pour glaze over tart, tilting tart for even coverage. Refrigerate until tart is set, at least one hour, then sprinkle with a few granules of fleur de sel. Keep refrigerated until serving.