Salty chocolate, caramel and peanut tart

I WROTE a while ago about the combination of salt and chocolate and how well it works. Today’s dessert marries the same flavours, but before you pooh-pooh the idea just think about a Snickers bar – chocolate and salted peanuts do work.

This recipe is certainly not for the diet-conscious, nor is it that quick to make. A light hand with the pastry is essential but it is worth the trouble – in fact, thinking about it, this isn’t too far away from the old millionaire’s shortbread recipe with shortcake, caramel and chocolate.

SALTY CHOCOLATE, CARAMEL AND PEANUT TART

Ingredients

For the sweet pastry

150g butter

150g icing sugar

450g plain flour

1 egg

2 egg yolks

For the caramel

130g caster sugar

100ml single cream

40g butter

Handful of salted peanuts

For the chocolate ganache

150g good quality dark chocolate

100ml single cream

Method

1. To make the pastry, mix the butter, icing sugar and flour together in a large bowl to a thick, slightly sandy consistency. Add the egg and egg yolks, then mix together well. Cover in clingfilm and refrigerate the pastry for a couple of hours. It may be necessary to add a dessertspoon or two of water to this mix.

2. Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3. Remove the mixture from the fridge and roll out to a thin pastry, then use it to line a 20cm tart tin. Line with a few layers of cling film (it won’t melt I promise) or baking parchment, weighed down with baking beans, then bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and place to one side.

3. Put the caster sugar into a pan, add 30ml water and cook over a low heat for 5-8 minutes until the mixture is caramelised. Add the cream and butter, then continue to cook, stirring regularly for 3 more minutes. Allow to cool a little and pour the hot caramel into the pastry base and sprinkle the peanuts on the caramel.

4. For the chocolate ganache, break the chocolate into small pieces and put aside. Heat the cream until it bubbles but ensure it does not boil. Remove the cream from the heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted. Pour the mixture over and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

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