Chocolate Caramel Tartlet

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Combine flour and cocoa powder; set aside. Meanwhile, cream butter, salt, sugar and almond meal and add the egg. Add powders in two times and mix until combined. Wrap up into a slab and chill. On a floured work surface, cut pastry in half (chill the other half), work out dough to soften and become pliable but should remain cool (do not over work). Roll out into a 0.12''/3mm thick sheet, lightly prick with a fork. Cut out ≈4 disks using a cookie cutter that is more than one inch/2.5cm larger than the pastry ring. Chill pastry disks to rest and repeat with the remaining dough. Grease pastry rings (no need to grease if using Exoglass tart rings). Gently soften pastry with the palm of your hands to soften if necessary and place loosely inside of the ring. Carefully apply pastry against the edges making sure there is no gaps left between the base of the mold and the bottom crust. A leap should form on the upper edges. Chill to rest. Shave off surface of each tartlet to create a neat finish. Refrigerate for up to 3 days; uncovered.

Line each tartlet with 2 microwave-safe plastic wrap sheets, and fill up with pie weights. Pre-bake at 350ºF/180ºC for 15 min; remove weights and bake for an additional 10 min. Baking time may be reduced if using a convection oven. Cool. Baked tart shells can be kept in dry storage for a week.

(Ganache montée). Gently melt chocolates. Meanwhile, heat up cream, glucose and trimoline. Pour in chocolates and mix. Add remaining but cool heavy cream, and blend well; refrigerate overnight. Whip to medium-firm peaks before piping.

In a hot frying pan, make caramel a sec (without water). Stir every so often when sugar begins to brown. When it starts to smoke, lower the heat and carefully stir in hot heavy cream, butter and salt. Cook for a couple of minutes, sieve and cool to room temp (do not refrigerate).

Bring to boil half/half with one-third of the sugar. Meanwhile, beat yolks and remaining sugar. Turn heat off and temper yolk mixture. Pour mixture in remaining half/half – whisk well, turn heat back on (medium-low) and cook creme anglaise to 185ºF/85ºC. Creme anglaise should not boil. Pass through a sieve and over the melted chocolate and blend well. Use warm.

Pour soft salted caramel inside each baked tart shell ≈20g per serving, and chill. Fill up tartlets with the warm chocolate crémeux and chill to set. Top tartlets with the chocolate mousse using a St. Honoré decorating pastry tip or cut your disposable pastry bag tip on bias. Freeze tartlets 3 hours at least prior spraying with the cocoa-chocolate mixture (flocage).

Melt cocoa butter completely and pour over the chopped dark chocolate; let sit a few minutes and blend well and sieve. Use at 113ºF/45ºC.

This technique creates a very pleasant thin velvet crust. *Omit this step if you have never done it. Sub for cocoa powder. Use a small paint spray gun with the cup on top (no air regulator needed).

To find spray gun for chocolate work click here

Spray frozen tartlets (outside) and refrigerate overnight to thaw. Lightly dust one side of the tartlet with cocoa powder if desired right before serving. Chocolate caramel tartlets can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or kept frozen for weeks. Enjoy!