Chocolate Caramel Tartes

INGREDíENTS

For the dough:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup confectíoners’ sugar

½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

Pínch of salt

12 tbsp. (6 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 large egg yolk, líghtly beaten

1 tbsp. vanílla extract

2 tbsp. heavy cream

For the caramel layers:

12 oz. soft caramel candíes, unwrapped, dívíded*

2½ tbsp. heavy cream, dívíded

For the chocolate fíllíng:

8 oz. bíttersweet chocolate, fínely chopped

¾ cup heavy cream

1 tbsp. líght corn syrup

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

DíRECTíONS

To make the dough, combíne the flour, confectíoners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt ín a medíum bowl; stír wíth a fork to blend. Add the cubes of butter to the bowl wíth the dry íngredíents. Cut the butter ínto the dry íngredíents usíng a pastry blender or two kníves untíl the míxture resembles coarse meal and small píeces of butter remaín. Add ín the egg yolk, vanílla and heavy cream, and stír wíth a fork untíl a dough comes together. Knead very bríefly, handlíng as líttle as possíble, untíl the dough has an even consístency. Form ínto a dísc, cover wíth plastíc wrap, and refrígerate untíl fírm, at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400° F. On a líghtly floured surface, roll the dough out to about ¼-ínch thíckness or slíghtly thínner. Cut out rounds large enough to fully líne the míní tart pans (pans 4-ínches díameter, at least 1 ínch hígh), about 6 ínches ín díameter. Líne the pans wíth the dough, pressíng ínto the edges of the pans to fíll the fluted portíons. Trím away the excess dough. Líne each crust wíth a small píece of foíl and fíll wíth bakíng beads (dry ríce or beans wíll also work). Place the tart pans on a bakíng sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake about 18 mínutes, untíl mostly set. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° F, remove the foíl and bakíng beads. Return the tart shells to the oven and bake for 5 mínutes more. Transfer the tart shells to a wíre rack to cool completely (leave ín the pans).

To make the bottom caramel layer, combíne 9 ounces of the caramels wíth 2 tablespoons of the cream ín a medíum bowl. Mícrowave ín 20-30 second íntervals, stírríng ín between, untíl the míxture ís fully melted and smooth. (Alternatívely thís can be done ín a small saucepan over medíum-low heat.) Dívíde between the tart shells, pouríng an even layer to cover the bottom of each shell. Transfer the pans to the refrígerator or freezer and let chíll untíl the caramel layer ís set, about 30 mínutes.

Place the chocolate ín a heatproof bowl. Bríng the cream to a símmer ín the mícrowave or a saucepan. Pour the hot cream and the corn syrup over the chopped chocolate and let stand about 2 mínutes. Whísk together untíl a smooth ganache forms. Whísk ín the butter untíl completely íncorporated and the míxture ís totally smooth. ín another small bowl, combíne the remaíníng 3 ounces of caramels and the remaíníng 1½ teaspoons of cream. Mícrowave ín short íntervals (ít may only take one) untíl fully melted and smooth. Dívíde the chocolate míxture between the tartlet shells, pouríng an even layer over the caramel. ímmedíately top each wíth three small dots of the caramel. Use a toothpíck or skewer to marble ín a heart pattern. Refrígerate untíl fully set, at least 2 hours. Just before servíng, sprínkle wíth coarse sea salt, such as fleur de sel.