Chocolate Caramel Tarts

I can't even believe how long it's been since I've been able to put up a post. I missed it, trust me. What with going to school, playing sports, and staying social, the time to bake, photograph, and blog is very limited. But I had some time this weekend, and because baking is a calming thing for me, I decided that was what I was going to do. I chose this recipe by looking through Donna Hay magazine. Yes, my friends make fun of me for reading Donna Hay and Martha Stewart, but I love those ladies! The food styling in Donna Hay magazine is to die for. I buy every $10 issue from Australia because it is just so beautiful to look at, let alone make recipes from it. I guess this post goes to my favorite women in the industry, too perfect for their own good.




I decided just to put up a little quad of an apple pie I made with some butter pecan ice cream. I won't be putting a recipe up, but I thought it captured the autumn spirit, so enjoy the cold weather (woo hoo!).

Short crust pastry
from Martha Stewart

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg yolk

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, and salt on medium-low speed to combine. Add butter, and continue mixing until coarse crumbs form. Add egg yolk; mix just until dough comes together. Form into a ball and place in plastic wrap. Tightly wrap sides. Use a rolling pin to flatten as much as possible, without pushing to dough out of the plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

On a floured work-surface, roll the dough 1/2" thick. Press into tart pans and place in freezer for 20 minutes. Line with parchment paper and weights and bake for 13 minutes. Let cool.

Caramel Filling

396g can sweetened condensed milk
60g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan on low heat until melted. Let thicken slightly, then pour into cooled tart shells. Let sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache

200g dark chocolate
2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

Combine in a small saucepan until melted and pour on top of chilled caramel filling, spreading if needed. Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel and let chill just until serving.

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Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

It just hit me today that I only have 1 more day of school left until summer. This school year seemed to go by so quickly; I can't even believe it. It will be nice to have lots of time to bake delicious summery treats. I leave on Sunday for some East-Coast college touring, so no baking next week, but after that, I'm around for a while, so there will most likely be a lot of desserts. I bought some really fragrant nectarines today, and I'm dying to make something with them.

I decided on these salted caramel chocolate cupcakes because I find that combination really irresistible. However, I've never had a cupcake that was those flavors, and I wanted to try it. Caramel is one of my favorite candy/dessert flavors, but I didn't want to make caramel cake. I wasn't sure how the buttercream would hold up, with the caramel mixed directly into it, but it worked just fine.



Chocolate Cupcakes

4.25 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup AP flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter; softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

Preheat oven to 350F.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Stir until melted. Remove from water and let cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. On low speed, add the melted chocolate until incorporated. On medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and beat until the mixture has changed to a slightly lighter color. Mix in the yogurt until completely blended. Dissolve espresso powder into water. Add flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the water, in 2 parts. Mix on low speed just until smooth. Line a muffin tin with paper cups and spray the whole pan with vegetable oil [to prevent sticking]. Fill each cup almost to the top. Bake regular sized cupcakes for aprox. 12 minutes, minis for 8 (depending on your oven.)

Caramel Buttercream

1/4 cup water
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter; softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fleur de Sel

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and water over medium heat until dissolved. Once dissolved, let boil without stirring, only swirling the pan to mix. Add salt. Once amber colored, remove from heat.

In a mixer bowl, beat softened butter just to break down. Add powdered sugar slowly. Pour in caramel until thoroughly mixed. Add more powdered sugar if the consistency is too thin. Transfer to a piping bag and evenly pipe onto cupcakes. Sprinkle with fleur de sel, should you like.


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