Holiday Recipe Exchange

My best friend Courtney and her sisters are having a holidy recipe exchange, so I thought I should be a good friend and share a recipe I love!  This recipe is one that I learned at a cooking class Stinson took me to last spring.  The recipe is long, and I promise that it is not as hard as it sounds.  Mine turned out the first time, which means that anyone can do it!  I hope you enjoy and thinking about trying out this tasty treat!

Chocolate Carmel Tarts with Sea Salt

Ingredients for tart dough:
1/2 C. unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 C. plus 1 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
3/4 t. vanilla extract
1-1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

Ingredients for Carmel:
1/2 C. water
2 C. sugar
1/4 C. light corn syrup
1/2 C. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 C. heavy cream
2 T sour cream

Ingredients for the Chocolate Ganache:
1/2 C. heavy cream
3-1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped well
Sea Salt to serve

How to make them:

1. To prepare the tart dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachement, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar until combined, about 1 minute. 
2.  Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until smooth.
3. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and beat on low speed until just combined.
4. Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastice wrap and form it into a disk.  Wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour, or up to 3 days.
5. Preheat oven to 325.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll the tart dough out.  Using a small round cutter ( I use the top of a small toothpick dispenser), cut out dough.
7. Press into a mini-muffin pan.  Push the edges of the dough up about 1/4 of an inch.
8. Chill the tart shells for 20 minutes.
9. Bake until set (will loose their shine), about 20 minutes.  Let cool.
10. Place water in a large sauce pan.  Add the sugar and corn syrup and cook mixture over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until you have a dark amber carmel, about 10 minutes. 
11. Carefully whisk in the butter, cream, and sour cream (the mixture will hiss and bubble up, so stand back.), whisking until smooth.
12. Divide carmel among the tart shells while still warm.  Let them sit utnil carmel is set, about 45 minutes.
13. To make ganache glaze, in a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil.
14. Place chocolate in a bowl.  Pour hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
15. Pour some of the glaze over each of the tarts while still warm. 
16. Let the glaze set at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving. 
17. Sprinkle with sea salt before serving

I know it looks like a lot.  It does take a bit of time, but you can do some of it ahead of time.  I will make the tarts one night, the carmel the next, and then put them all together the day I make the chocolate ganache.  After you make them once you will be hooked because they melt in your mouth!

I promise to write about my truip to Seattle and give some house updates later this week.  I left my camera chord at school, making uploading picutres tough!