Chai Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
This gorgeous tart features a creamy and deeply sweet salted caramel filling that has been infused with warm chai spices. Sitting a top a chai-spiced shortcrust pastry and topped with a velvety chocolate ganache, this Chai Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart is a definite show-stopping Fall or thanksgiving dessert!
How to make the chai shortcrust pastry crust for salted caramel chocolate tart
Making this chai shortcrust pastry is quite similar to making a traditional pie dough, however there are a few parts that differ! First, instead of water, this shortcrust pastry uses cream and an egg yolk, to further enhance the richness! As well, this chai shortcrust pastry crust also works the butter a bit more. With traditional pie dough, the butter is worked and cut until it resembles the size of peas. In this recipe, the butter is worked and cut into the flour mixture until it basically disappears into the into the mixtures – this means lo large pieces of butter!
Start by mixing together all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add in your cold butter cubes and toss with the dry ingredients. Then, using your fingers, begin working the butter in by squeezing and smashing the butter pieces between your fingers. When the butter basically disappears into the mixture, whisk together the cream and egg yolk in a measuring cup. Slowly drizzle this into butter mixture, while simultaneously tossing the mixture with a fork. Toss and mix until a shaggy dough comes together.
Once a shaggy dough has been achieved, you’re going to want to knead the dough together a few times to get it to stay together. Lastly, pat the dough into a disc shape, then place into the fridge to cool for 2 hours.
Rolling out the Chai Shortcrust Pastry for tart
The makeup and structure of the dough for the chai crust is very delicate and more prone to ripping than a traditional pie crust is. For that reason, there is a specific method that should be used when rolling out and transferring the chai shortcrust pastry into the tart pan.
1. Roll the dough out to be about 13” wide and between ¼” and 1/8” thick. Use a well-floured surface for this!
2. Take the bottom of your tart pan and slide it under the rolled out dough.
3. Fold the rolled out dough inward onto the tart pan bottom, until the dough is resting on the tart pan bottom. Be careful while folding, because the dough is prone to rip if handled too aggressively.
4. Pick up the tart pan bottom (with the crust sitting on top of it) and place it into the rest of the tart pan.
5. Unfold the dough into the tart pan, then firmly press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan.
6. Use a rolling pin to cut the excess dough off the top of the crust.
7. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, and place into the freezer for 20 minutes.
8. Remove from freezer, and place parchment into the crust and top with pie weights and bake!
How to make the chai salted caramel tart filling
Start by throwing the sugar and water into a large saucepan over medium heat. Allow the sugar to dissolve in the water, then increase the heat to medium-high and let the mixture turn amber. During this caramelization period, make sure you DO NOT stir it! Stirring the mixture can cause little sugar clumps/crystals to occur, leading to an unsmooth sauce.
After the sugar mixture has turned amber in color, add the cubed butter in, whisking as you add it. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit, so using a big enough whisk is important. If the butter doesn’t seem to want to incorporate, just vigorously whisk it, off the heat, until it does! After the butter has been added and is well-incorporated, slowly add the heavy cream (caramel will bubble again) in and continue to whisk. Finally add vanilla, salt, and chai spices, then whisk until combined again. Allow the chai salted caramel to cool until it is just warm before pouring over chai shortcrust pastry!
How to store the Chai Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
While this salted caramel chocolate tart is a great make-ahead dessert, I found that once you cut into it, it is best to consume it within a few hours. Caramel, no matter how thick or cold, has a tendency to flow. That means that if you cut slices out of the tart, the caramel will inevitably begin to flow out of the tart, slowly but surely, and onto the serving plate or pan.
That being said, you can attempt to stop this by putting something on the cut edge of the salted caramel chocolate tart to try to stop the flow of the caramel. Plastic wrap covered foil does the trick for me!
Get the Recipe: Chai Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
Ingredients
Chai Crust
- 240 g (8.5oz) All Purpose Flour,, approximately 2 cups measured volumetrically
- 2 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1/4 tsp Cardamom
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup Cold Unsalted Butter,, cubed
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Egg Yolk
Salted Caramel Filling
- 1 ½ cups White Sugar
- 5 tbsp Water
- 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature and cubed
- 6 tbsp Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1/4 tsp Cardamom
Chocolate Ganache Topping
- 113 g (4oz) Semi Sweet Chocolate,, chopped finely
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature
- Flaky Salt,, for garnish
Equipment
- 9" tart pan
Instructions
Chai Crust
- Add the flour, brown sugar, spices, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk well to combine. Add cubed, cold butter, and work the butter into the flour mixture using your fingers. Once the butter has been worked to basically disappear into the mixture, set the bowl aside.
- Add the egg yolk to the heavy cream, and whisk until smooth. Slowly drizzle the cream+yolk into the flour/butter mixture, tossing with a fork while you drizzle to promote even coverage. After all the liquid has been added, use your hands to slightly knead the dough until it comes together into a slightly shaggy ball of dough. Press the dough into a disc shape, wrap in plastic, and place into the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours.
- Remove the dough from the fridge, and roll it out to be about a 13” wide circle. Transfer the dough into the tart pan (see write up for instructions and pictures on easy transferring). Firmly press the dough into the pan, remove the excess overhang, prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, then place into the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove the crust from the freezer, place a piece of parchment into it, and place pie weights (or dried beans) into the parchment. Place into the oven to bake for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and pie weights (be careful that you are not pulling up the pie crust), then return back into the oven for another 20 minutes. Allow the crust to cool to room temperature.
Chai Caramel Filling
- In a large saucepan over medium heat add sugar, water and cream of tartar. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture begins to boil.
- Once the mixture begins to boil turn the heat up to medium-high and allow the mixture to boil, ensuring not to stir it, until it turns amber in color (stirring the mixture will cause crystallization, so refrain from stirring).
- Once the mixture has become amber in color (360°F on a candy thermometer), add the cubed butter and mix very vigorously to combine. (Be careful, however, because the mixture will bubble and rise up rapidly when you add the butter). If the butter seems to be separating from the caramel, remove it from the heat, then whisk vigorously until it comes together.
- Next, slowly and carefully add in the heavy cream (it will bubble rapidly again), then add the vanilla, salt and spices. Whisk until smooth and well-combined. Remove the caramel from the heat, allow to cool to until it is just warm but still fluid.
- When just warm, pour the caramel filling into the cooled crust. Place into the fridge for at least 1 hour to cool.
Chocolate Ganache Filling
- Add chopped chocolate to a heat proof bowl.
- Add cream and butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then whisk well until well-combined and smooth. Place the ganache in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours.
- Remove the filled tart from the fridge, add the chocolate ganache on top, then using a spoon smooth the chocolate across the tart, then create swoops and swirls with the spoon. Top with flaky salt. Keep cold until serving.
Source: Loosely based on a recipe by Bon Appetit
It looks like the butter quantity on the crust is wrong, should it be 3/4 cup??
Yes! Thank you for catching that!
When do you add the spices to the caramel sauce?
With the vanilla and salt! ☺️