Whisky Chocolate Caramel Tart

I love ganache. It can be used in so many ways, and is so dang tasty. If you use it right after the chocolate melts, it can be a drippy frosting or glaze. Let it cool a bit and whip it with a hand mixer, and you've got chocolate frosting for a cake, the consistency of buttercream. Or pour it in a tart shell and you have a chocolate tart (although I should note for the purists, yes, this is not a classic chocolate tart, which is baked and has eggs in the filling).

I decided to add whisky (I used Jack Daniels) to this in honour of St. Patrick's Day coming up. With only three weeks left to go, it's not too early to be looking at things you can make if you plan on having people over. And whisky just makes everything better in general.

This tart is so shiny and gorgeous. It's that shiny, you can see a bit of my reflection in the bottom left corder of the above photo. Even better, it is easy to do, and the tart shell can be made up to a week in advance, and cooked a day before, so if you're likely to be busy on the day of an event, it's easy to get this dessert done ahead of time.

Remember when you're making your tart dough to keep everything cold. This ensures the crust will be flaky and not doughy. Refrigeration between steps is essential until you get the tart shell in the oven.

A note for the recipe: If you don't want a strong flavour, serve with normal whipped cream.

The recipe is given in both metric and Imperial.

Whisky Chocolate Caramel Tart

Tart Crust:
225g plain flour/ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (US)
25g cocoa powder/ 1/4 cup
25g caster sugar/ 3 TBSP fine sugar
pinch of salt
125g unsalted butter, COLD / 1 stick + 1 TBSP butter (US
1 egg
2TBSP ice cold water

Start this about an hour before you want to bake it. Or you can make the dough up to seven days in advance and let it rest in the fridge.

Cube the butter and set it in the freezer while you do the next step.

In a food processor, blitz the flour, cocoa powder, caster sugar, and salt to combine. Take your butter out of the freezer, and dot half around the flour. Blitz to combine entirely, about 30 seconds-1 minute. Dot the remaining butter around the flour, blitz for 15 seconds, or until butter chunks are the size of peas. Add the egg and blitz to combine. Add the water, and blitz one final time.

On a sheet of cling film, dump out the dough and bring together with your hands. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, flour your work top and rolling pin well, and roll your dough out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Carefully lift your dough off the work top (it may stick a bit, use your fingers to gently lift it), and fill a 23cm tart tin with a removable bottom. Push the dough into the edges, and snip off the excess. Prick the bottom with a fork a few times. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Filled tart tin before excess has been cut.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line your dough with a sheet of baking paper. Fill evenly with baking beans. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove the beans and baking paper and bake for a further 15 minutes. The crust will start to pull away from the edges.

Set aside and make your caramel sauce and chocolate filling.

Caramel Sauce (or you can buy the caramel sauce in the store if you don't want to make it):
125g caster sugar/ 1 1/4 cup fine sugar
2TBSP water
70ml double cream/ 2 1/2 oz heavy cream (use a measuring jug)
25g unsalted butter/ 2 TBSP
1tsp vanilla extract

This will make more than you need for the tart, but you can store it in a jar or squeezy bottle to use on literally anything. Have it on a bit of toast, or drizzle on top of some ice cream, and you've instantly taken dessert to a whole new level.

Weigh sugar and measure water in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar melts. Place a lid on the saucepan, and increase heat to medium (this is important as it will dissolve any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan and prevent the caramel from crystallising). Boil for a minute or two, then take off the lid and place a candy thermometer in the sugar syrup.

Continue to cook until the thermometer reads 190C/375F and sugar has browned. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the double cream, butter, and vanilla. Mix to combine and melt the butter.

Spoon just enough of the hot caramel into the tart base to coat the bottom. Store the rest in a glass jar or squeezy bottle.

Chocolate Filling:
200g/7oz milk chocolate
190g double cream/ 6 1/2 oz heavy cream in the US (weigh, don't measure)
50g unsalted butter/ 3 1/2 TBSP
2TBSP whisky
2tsp vanilla extract
3TBSP chopped hazelnuts for topping (toasted in a 150C oven for 10 minutes)

Chop chocolate, set aside in a heatproof bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream, butter, whisky, and vanilla extract until it boils, stirring frequently so the cream doesn't scorch. Pour immediately over the chocolate. Whisk until all the chocolate is melted and combined. The mixture will be smooth and glossy.

Pour immediately into the tart base. Top with toasted hazelnuts, and let cool and set for AT LEAST two hours. This will set, I promise, but you must let it rest for enough time, or it will be liquidy. Refrigerate after cooled.

Whisky Cream (Optional):
150ml double cream/ 6 oz heavy cream
50g caster sugar/ 1/4 cup fine sugar
1TBSP whisky
1tsp vanilla extract

With a hand mixer, beat all the ingredients together until the cream forms stiff peaks. Serve on top of the tart slices.