Nearing the end of August, I would like to share one of my favourite recipes from Yummy Workshop. Four years ago, I started my blog, as a way to share my cooking experiences and as a way to try food writing so I can write a cookbook someday. In April 2012, I participated in the fundraising event “Indulge n’ Dance”, and I contributed my “salted caramel and chocolate ganache tarts”. I was far from being a professional baker at that time, I had a great time that night, knowing many people enjoyed my dessert. I don’t recall how I developed the recipe for this dessert. The recipe has evolved many times over these years. I eventually started selling them at bakers’ and craft markets and they were always my best-selling treats. As a shout-out to Yummy Workshop’s fourth birthday, I am sharing my this Salted Dark Caramel and Chocolate Tart recipe. This is a grownup version of the original recipe, just like how much Yummy Workshop and I have grown. After making hundreds of them, I think this might be the best version I’ve made ever.
Ingredients
- 170g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 pinch salt
- 115g icing sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 60g whole eggs, slightly beaten
- 355g cake flour, sifted
- 100g sugar
- 50g whipping cream, heated to lukewarm in microwave oven
- 80g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1g fine sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 100g good quality dark chocolate (I used one with 73% cocoa content), roughly chopped
- 16g unsalted butter
- 7g honey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 95g whipping cream
- flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
- gold coloured powder for garnish, optional
Method
- In mixer bowl, place in butter, salt, and icing sugar. Beat with a paddle attachment on medium speed until it is well mixed, becoming pale in colour.
- Add in vanilla extract, and eggs in 3 additions, make sure it is well incorporated before adding more eggs. Scrape down the sides bowl after each addition to ensure even distribution.
- On low speed, add in flour, mix until just incorporated, don't over mix otherwise tart will be tough.
- Divide dough in half, and wrap each portion into disks and chill in refrigerator overnight.
- Before rolling, let dough sit out for about 10-15 minutes to soften. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about 3-4mm thick, turning the dough after each roll to prevent sticking, flour as needed.
- Measure the size of your tart pan/ring, cut out the shapes you need.
- If the dough is too warm, place it back in the fridge to chill, otherwise you can start lining the pan/ring. When lining, be sure to get into the edges on the bottom, flush the dough right up to the top of the pan, trim off excess.
- Chill lined pan/ring. Pierce the bottoms of the tart with a fork before baking, or blind bake them (yields nicer looking shells - optional). Bake at 325 F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Blind baking (see photos): Line chilled tart pan/rings with parchment, fill with beans or rice, up to the top. Bake until edges start to brown, take out and remove paper, beans and take out from the pans/rings, return to oven to bake to golden brown.
- Remove shells from pans/ring, let cool until ready to use.
- In a small saucepan, cook sugar to dark amber colour, swirling pan to caramelize evenly - try not to stir it.
- Slowly add in whipping cream, be careful as the caramel is very hot and it will splatter slightly. Cook to 108C and take off heat.
- Cool caramel for about 5 minutes, stir in butter, salt, and vanilla extract. Let cool until ready to use.
- * Make chocolate ganache just when you are ready to fill, otherwise it might set too soon. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.
- Heat whipping cream in a microwave safe measuring cup for about 1-1.5 minutes, until it bubble slightly on the sides of the cup.
- Pour hot cream into chocolate, avoid stirring right away and cover bowl with plastic wrap for about 1 minute. In the mean time, heat butter and honey until lukewarm in a small bowl, for about 30-40 seconds.
- Stir ganache with a spatula from the center outwards, slowly incorporate the ingredients.
- Lastly, stir in warmed butter/honey, and vanilla extract.
- Have tart shells ready. Place caramel into a small piping bag. Make ganache.
- Pipe caramel about it fills the tart shells halfway.
- Filling tarts one by one, carefully spoon ganache onto the caramel, wiggle tarts gently to let the ganache level off. Finish the rest of the tarts.
- Let the ganache set a little, for about 10-15 minutes.
- Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt, sift a little gold coloured powder on top to garnish.
- Tarts taste best the day they are made, but will keep in the fridge stored in a container for about 1-2 days.
Notes
*Tip: cook your caramel to a dark amber colour to give it the most flavour, but be sure to keep an eye on it as it can burn in a matter of seconds. There's a thin line between dark and burnt, I like to cook it just before it becomes bitter and unpalatable.
Silky caramel, luscious dark chocolate ganache in a thin, rich pastry shell with a touch of salt for balance. I fell in love with this dessert, yet again.
I can’t believe I have been blogging for four years and am still going at it! This blog has a special place in my heart because it has brought me from a home baker, to a blogger, and now a professional pastry cook. What keeps me going is my passion and readers’ support. My blog doesn’t have a great deal of traffic, but seeing my recipes featured in various websites makes me so proud. Reading some of my first posts brings back so many memories and a realization – Yummy Workshop has came a long way to where it is now. I am very happy to share this recipe that I’ve never shared but is one of my absolute favourites – I hope you enjoy it as much as do!
Happy Birthday, Yummy Workshop!

Wow! This looks so scrumptious! 🙂
Thank you!
These tarts are so beautiful, Betty! Love the salt and sweet caramel combination. Happy Blogiversary!!!! I’m a huge fan of your blog, and your recipes are always amazing! Keep up with the good work. 🙂
Thank you for being an awesome fan, Lokness!
These tarts look great! The photos are beautiful too! Nice job! 🙂 – Regine
These are so nice. Salty and sweet combination is totally fine with me. 😀 – Regine
Hi Betty, I like your recipe! Thanks you for sharing it with us. I was wandering how many tarts you can make out this recipe? What is the size of the tartrings? Friendly greetings, Louise (The Netherlands)
Hello,
Thank you for your comment. I forgot to include the yield and sizes!
This recipe makes 6 tarts of 7.5cm in diameter, 1.5cm high tarts. You can also try making a big version of up to a 20cm diameter round tart. Hope that helps!
Betty
This looks amazing – I am totally loving the chocolate ganache topping.
Lisa Favre
http://marblecrumbs.com