Of Chocolate and Caramel ...

It’s time for the August Daring Bakers challenge, and the hosts are yours truly, and the lovely Patricia of Technicolor Kitchen!

It was obvious that Patricia and I wanted tarts this time around but the question was more like: what kind? Fruit tarts would be tricky due to produce availability because, in case you haven’t noticed, the Daring Bakers’ membership have spread across the globe!

            So what ingredients can be easily accessible regardless of where you are in the world? Why, chocolate and sugar, of course!

            I had seen this gorgeous tart in Eric Kayser’s Sweet and Savory Tarts  book a few months ago and had shown the picture to Patricia. She concurred with me to make it this month’s challenge. I was really pleased since this would allow me to square off with my shadowy nemesis again: CARAMEL.

            I’ve recently gotten into the habit of playing Julia Child’s French Chef dvds to provide background company while I’m working in the kitchen. In one episode, she talked about a home cook’s fear of boiling sugar. She said, and I’m paraphrasing here, “A lot of cooks are scared of sugar syrup. Somehow this is related to fear of failure. Cooking is one failure after another – that’s how you learn. So learn how to make sugar syrup!”

Yes, Ma’am.

            Also I am not a fan of milk chocolate so I was a bit dubious about the taste of the chocolate layer. But to be a Daring Baker is to venture outside your comfort zone, so I was ready to give this a try.

            This challenge was more straightforward than previous DB endeavors, but it was not without its bumps on the road. A few of us, including myself, encountered horribly burnt sugar using the dry caramel method. This led to an alternate procedure of using corn syrup to stabilize the mixture which worked perfectly.

            The dough was difficult to work with and kept on breaking as I rolled it out. It appeared quite greasy too. I wonder if it had anything to do with using a food processor and softened butter – this did not make sense to me – but hey that’s what the recipe said so that was what I did. Anyway, I ended up with “patch-up” dough. I began grumbling about “Who picked this recipe anyway…”

Milk Chocolate and Caramel Tart

From Eric Kayser’s Sweet and Savory Tarts

            

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Baking Time: 30 minutes

Refrigeration time: 1 hour

One 9-inch(24-cm) square pan; 1 10-inch (26-cm) round baking pan

Ingredients

·         ½ lb (250 g) chocolate shortbread pastry (see recipe below)

·         1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar

·         1 cup (250 g) heavy cream (30-40 percent butterfat) or crème fraiche

·         ¼ cup (50 g) butter

·         2 whole eggs

·         1 egg yolk

·         2 ½ tablespoons (15 g) flour

·         1 ¼ cups (300 g) whipping cream

·         ½ lb (250 g) milk chocolate

1.      Preheat oven to 325 °F (160 °C).

2.      Line the baking pan with the chocolate shortbread pastry and bake blind for 15 minutes.

3.      In a saucepan, caramelize 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar using the dry method until it turns a golden caramel color. Incorporate the heavy cream or crème fraiche and then add butter. Mix thoroughly. Set aside to cool.

4.      In a mixing bowl, beat the whole eggs with the extra egg yolk, then incorporate the flour.

5.      Pour this into the cream-caramel mixture and mix thoroughly.

6.      Spread it out in the tart shell and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

7.      Prepare the milk chocolate mousse: beat the whipping cream until stiff. Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave or in a bain-marie, and fold it gently into the whipped cream.

8.      Pour the chocolate mousse over the cooled caramel mixture, smoothing it with a spatula. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator.

To decorate: melt ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar in a saucepan until it reaches an amber color. Pour it onto waxed paper laid out on a flat surface. Leave to cool. Break it into small fragments and stick them lightly into the top of the tart.

Chocolate Shortbread Pastry

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Refrigeration :overnight

To make 3 tarts, 9 ½ inches (24 cm) square

or 10 inches (26 cm round)

Ingredients:

·         1 cup (250g ) unsalted butter, softened

·         1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 g) confectioners’ sugar

·         ½ cup (50 g) ground hazelnuts

·         2 level teaspoons (5 g) ground cinnamon

·         2 eggs

·         4 ½ cups (400 g) cake flour

·         2 ½ teaspoons (10 g) baking powder

·         1 ½ tablespoons (10 g) cocoa powder

A day ahead

1.      In a mixing bowl of a food processor, cream the butter.

2.      Add the confectioners’ sugar, the ground hazelnuts, and the cinnamon, and mix together

3.      Add the eggs, one by one, mixing constantly

4.      Sift in the flour, the baking powder, and the cocoa powder, and mix well.

5.      Form a ball with the dough, cover in plastic wrap, and chill overnight.

Alternate Caramel method:

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

1 tbs corn syrup

Set a pot over medium-heat with the ingredients and stir slowly. When the mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring and wait until desired color is attained.

Cooking Notes:

            As I mentioned above, I had no luck with the dry sugar method of making caramel. What would happen was the outer edges turned amber quickly before all the sugar melted, resulting in a burnt grainy mess. Not wanting to waste more sugar, I relied on the old standby of corn syrup and water. Aside from making the caramel less brittle, corn syrup makes the caramel-making process easier too.

Caramels get ruined because of the formation of crystals which develop mainly because of the purity of a substance. Table sugar is mainly sucrose - a combination of glucose and fructose. To prevent crystallization, you introduce an impurity like corn syrup which is mainly glucose that will get in the way of sucrose molecules when they try to fuse.

Another method is to introduce an acid like lemon or vinegar right at the beginning. What this does is break down some of your sucrose molecules into its two component sugars. Now you have three different sugars: glucose and fructose which will now act as the impurities to prevent sucrose crystallization.

            I have tested taking the caramel color further than what the recipe had stated and I have discovered that I did like the resulting caramel layer better. Boiling the caramel to 325 °F makes for a layer that was just sweet and nothing else. But taking it further to a rich, dark amber color of about 340 °F makes for a more complex almost pumpkin-like flavor.

            To avoid lumpiness when you add the flour to the eggs, make sure the eggs are at room temperature and slowly whisk the flour in.

            Before you add the chocolate to the whipped cream, test the temperature by touching a little chocolate to your top lip, if it feels comfortably hot then it is okay to combine the two. If the chocolate feels too hot, it might dissolve your nicely aerated cream.

            I also wanted a thicker caramel layer section but it ended up looking a little sunked-in – maybe I should have cooked it a little longer? My chocolate mousse layer seemed out of proportion to the caramel but other than those aesthetics, the tart sure looked pretty (at least in my mind).

            The resulting tart was overly sweet which kind of disappointed me. My bottom crust was also a bit soggy; the sides were crisp and crunchy though. 

             What I would like to do next time is to take the caramel layer further in color and use bittersweet chocolate for the mousse. Milk chocolate, at 41%, is really not my type. I might give the crust another shot, and if it still misbehaves, I would likely try another recipe. I have also used half the cinnamon it had called for and I had liked the taste of the spice, but I’ve heard quite a few complaints about it overpowering the rest of the tart.

            Overall, this was a great exercise in making a set caramel and working with chocolate shortbread pastry.

            My thanks go to Ivonne and Lis for starting such a wonderful baking group and I am truly delighted to be a part of it.

            Please visit the different interpretations of this Milk Chocolate and Caramel tart on the other Daring Bakers' blogs. Blog roll right here.

Comments

[Meeta]

Veronica, you did an excellent job I was keen on seeing how the hostess would fare!! LOL! I love the raspberry decoration!

[Anne]

Lovely tart to behold! Thank you for this wonderful challenge. I did have fun making it and my family liked it very much :)

[peabody]

Wow, your mousse is so high! Yes, I would like to remake this using at least a semi-sweet chocolate.
Thanks again for this challenge.

[Rosa]

Wow, that tart looks wonderful! I'm in total awe in front of such a beauty!

[ilva]

Thanks Ver, now I have a great recipe for caramel cream, I have looking for that! Your cake looks beautiful!

[kellypea]

Thanks for hosting, Veronica. I've changed my mind about the milk chocolate. The tart wasn't overly sweet, and it turned out quite lovely. A very positive experience!

[Patricia Scarpin]

I'm sorry to hear you didn't get the results you expected, sweetie - your tart looks fantastic! I love it that you added raspberries, I'm crazy about them.

I had so much fun making this tart and I want to thank you for having me as your partner in crime. ;)

Hugs!

[Pille]

Your layers look very good to me, especially that luscious mousse one! I'm thankful for the recipe, too, as I really liked it and am definitely going to make it again soon!! Thank you!!

[Laurie]

Your tart looks great, I just love the raspberries on top. Gorgeous! I had a lot of fun this being my first challenge. Thanks so much for a delicious recipe. xo

[Dharm]

Veron! Great challenge and everyone loved it. I too would go for Dark Chocolate the next time round. I love you mousse layer... looking at all the challenges, I'm wishing there was tart left over to eat! Well done and thanks for the great challenge!

[The Cooking Ninja]

wow! Mouthwatering cake :)

[Leslie]

That looks fabulous!!!!!

[Anita]

Veronica,
Thanks for hosting DB and picking such a fun recipe - so glad we both enjoy this book:) I agree that it's totally alter-able so we can try it again with different ingredients. Your tart turned out gorgeous - just like all your other creations!

[Deborah]

Thanks for hosting and choosing such a challenging recipe! Your tart turned out wonderful!

[Hillary]

This was a fantastic recipe to choose! I can't thank you enough for circulating something so delicious all over the Internet...hehe. It's so great to see everyone's variations - I love the Daring Baker's challenge!

[Rose]

Yours looks so great. I can't believe you had some bumps along the way!

[brilynn]

Love the raspberries on top!
Thanks for the challenge, I was hoping you'd pick something chocolate!

[Lisa]

Well I just can't thank you and Patricia enough - what a great challenge =))

I love your tart - the mousse is so fluffy! And I gotta tell you.. your explanation of why sugar can crystalize so easy when making caramel had me picturing Alton Brown standing behind you with a big proud grin on his face holding up your gold star. *grin*

Love you, Sis!
xoxo

[monica glass]

many many thanks for hosting! it was fun and your tart looks lovely!

[Jen the bread freak]

Your mousse is gorgeous! Mine was nowhere near as fluffy. And the raspberries were probalby a perfect compliment to the other flavors. Thank you so much for hosting this! It was a great first challenge for me :D

[Tartelette]

Gorgeous! Thanks for chosing such a challenge. B. said it needed a peanut butter layer....he might be on to something!

[sher]

Beautiful! I am so impressed by how some of the DB got such wonderful layers. My were not so well defined. I enjoyed the taste of this part very much. I didn't have trouble with the crust--because I pressed it into the shell with my fingers! Thanks for hosting this great event.

[Aoife]

Thank you so much for hosting! I like your picture, especially your beautiful cake server. I also liked this recipe quite a bit -- probably more than you did!

[Elle]

Your tart look yummy! Thank you for hosting and for choosing this recipe. It provided just enough challenge and a delicious tart, too.

[Dagmar]

Thanks for hosting! I had great fun as always!!! Lovely photo!

[Kelly-Jane]

You did a beautiful job on your tart! I ummed and aahed about using fruit with it...

Thank you for choosing such a lovely tart for us all to make =)

[Mary]

Thanks for a great challenge Veron! Julia Child was a wise woman and ahead of her time. I love watching those re-runs on PBS.

[baking soda]

Thanks Veron for co-hosting this month's challenge! I had a great time making it. Love your distinctive layers, my caramel sunk in a bit. The raspberries are a nice addition don't you think, they really add something.

[Inne]

Thanks for choosing this tart, Veronica - I loved making it, it was a perfect fit for me.
I used milk chocolate with coffee in it, which gave it a bit of an extra kick. And as for the burnt caramel, all you have to do is put your water in your pan and the sugar will dissolve all by itself! Love the raspberries you put on your tart, it looks absolutely delicious.

[Amanda @ Little Foodies]

Thank you for the challenge. Your caramel is really light compared to mine. I think I must have overdone cooking the sugar. I used Green and Black's milk chocolate which has a really good cocoa flavour. Thanks again, it was fun.

[steph]

i really liked this, and had a great time making it. thanks!

[Anh]

Veron, I love how you quote Julia Child! So true, u know?

And your tart looks wonderful. I really enjoy this challenge.

[Lydia]

It's a lot of fun to see what other Daring Bakers have done with your challenge. I'm not a daring baker, but some of my favorite bloggers are!

[Ivonne]

Veronica,

I have to thank you so much for choosing such a lovely challenge. You and Patricia made a truly excellent choice. While I had a bit of trouble with the dough, the tart just lovely.

Of course, yours looks beautiful!

[barbara]

Tht looks wonderful Veronica. I can see now I let my first caramel go too dark. But I did like the burnt taste.

[Chelsea]

Great recipe Veronica! I love the way all of the flavors play off of each other and taste totally different than you might expect. I agree that it would be fun to try with a darker chocolate - I'll just have to make it again, darn... Thanks for hosting!

[Amy]

I loved the recipe this month, I've never made proper caramel before this challenge and I learned so much! Thanks Veronica!

[KJ]

Thanks for choosing a great task Veronica. It was lots of fun. I think you did a great job on yours.

[Christine]

Bravo to you! You braved the challenge and you won beautifully. It looks great! Thanks for the tip on the corn syrup, I'll have to remember that when I decide to take on the challenge myself. :)

[leonine19]

my gosh! your tart looks so yummy!

[Belinda]

I love "shadowy nemesis" as a synonym for caramel! :-) And wow! Your tart with all of that fluffy mousse looks incredibly yummy. :-)

[Tanna]

I love your reasons for going with this recipe! And yes that
"shadowy nemesis" caramel is a hoot. I do find it odd what I can make work and can't make work and looking at what another cook can and can't make work. That dry caramel works for me, I can't see why but it does. Julia is right about cooking - I've always liked the understanding that success is a poor teacher, we learn more from failures.
Your tart Veron is over the top beautiful!
Thanks for the challenge.

[Sara]

Thanks for the challenge this month. I'll admit I'm glad it's over, and I don't think I'll make it again, but now I can say I've done it!

[JennDZ_The Leftover Queen]

Thanks so much for hosting! Your tart looks wonderful!

[Jenny]

Great task to choose, Veronica.

And this quote: "Cooking is one failure after another – that’s how you learn." - is officially going on my fridge. I didn't even make it through your post before writing it down.

[valentina]

Veron, you and Pat are congratulated for the great choice. i only managed to make the base due to time constraints.I liked it so much that I ended up making it 3 times. I love yours, the beautifully presented slice on top. topped with gorgeously lined up raspberries.

[Nora]

Hi Veron,
Thanks for all the cooking notes, esp about caramel. I love choc short crust, and didn't have problems with another recipe (which uses cold butter) so maybe you were right about using another recipe instead of this one. I would use dark choc too and your tart looks lovely to me. :-)

[arfi]

It's a lovely tart!

[Wendy]

Your tart is so cute. Your layers are so thick, too. Thank-you for all your helpful tips on the DB Blog and for the scientific angle of what is happening to sugar when you melt it into caramel. This was a great challenge. Thank-you. Wendy

[joey]

Facing kitchen fears again (shadowy nemesis? I love it!) I see :) You certainly came out on top with that gorgeous tart :)