Food & Drink

Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart

These two ingredients are a match made in heaven, and a perfect way for you to 'wow' your Valentine with your cooking skills, or just on a Friday night in!

Prep: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hr 5 minutes
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients – crust
250g digestive or shredded wheatmeal biscuits
125g butter, melted

Ingredients – caramel
225g caster sugar
100g chilled butter
100ml double cream
1 heaped tsp Maldon sea salt

Ingredients – topping
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
2 extra egg yolks
250g dark chocolate
150g butter
Ice cream, to serve

Method

Heat oven to 180°C . Lightly grease a 23cm (9in) deep loose-bottomed tart tin. Blend the biscuits in a food processor until finely crushed.
Place the biscuit crumbs in a bowl, add the butter and mix well. Press the biscuit mixture evenly into the greased tin and up the sides. Chill the base in the fridge for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove the tart tin from the fridge, place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the base feels dry. Set aside to cool.
To make the caramel, bring the sugar and 100ml water to the boil in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the butter, return to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until the mixture is a toffee colour. Pour in the cream and salt and boil for another 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Allow to cool.
To make the chocolate topping, whisk the sugar, eggs and egg yolks for 4 minutes or until thick and pale. Gently melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water), leave to cool for a minute and then add to the sugar and egg mixture, whisking until smooth and glossy.
Spread the caramel over the cooled base and spoon over the chocolate mixture, spreading it evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes or until it is almost set but still a bit wobbly. Allow to cool in the tin. Serve in thin slices with vanilla ice cream.