Thanksgiving is upon us (um, where has November gone?), and I realized that I have yet to put one of my all-time favorite recipes on Lemon Baby. It is the dessert that has graced our Thanksgiving table ever since I discovered it four years ago. It doesn’t involve pumpkin, pecans, or anything fall-ish, really. And that’s kind of its beauty. It’s an accessible, simple, and a ridiculously delicious end to a sumptuous meal. It is a Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart, and it’s incredible.Â
I discovered the original recipe on Kevin and Amanda. I cannot take credit for its birth, but I have modified it significantly. The first time I made it per the original recipe, I found Oreo cookies for the crust to be too sweet. I substituted plain, old chocolate wafer cookies instead every year after. I also doubled the caramel filling (because…caramel).
Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart is an explosion of crumbly cookie crust, silky caramel, and smooth ganache. Don’t be intimidated by the caramel. It’s a simple sauce instead of its labor-intensive candy-thermometer-requiring cousin. I would not recommend substituting milk chocolate. The entire thing might be too sweet for some (as if there is such a thing). The beauty of this dessert is the bitterness of the dark chocolate married with the salty sweetness of the caramel. It is a thing of beauty, for sure. Try it for yourself. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart
A decadent, sweet-and-salty dessert that will forever grace my Thanksgiving table.
Ingredients
- 36 chocolate wafer cookies (about one package)
- 1 1/2 cup butter, divided
- 1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- Maldon sea salt or another super flaky salt
Instructions
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In a food processor, whiz chocolate wafers until crumbly. Melt a stick of butter in the microwave or on the stovetop, and stir into the chocolate crumbs until combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a nine-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze crust for 10 minutes.
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Combine two sticks of butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook until it bubbles, whisking constantly, over medium heat, and then cook for two minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in one-half cup of heavy cream until mixture is a smooth sauce. Cool caramel about 20 minutes.
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Pour caramel over the set crust and return to freezer for 30 minutes, but don't let caramel fully freeze.
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Put chocolate chips in a glass bowl and heat 3/4 cup heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it melt for five minutes, then whisk until smooth.
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Remove the tart from the freezer and pour the chocolate over the caramel. Smooth with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Refrigerate covered, for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. Push bottom of tart pan up to unmold tart. Right before serving, top with some lovely flaky sea salt.
