Description
Rich chocolate praline tart delivers a luxurious French dessert experience with intense cocoa and nutty caramel notes. Chocolate lovers will find this elegant pastry irresistible when you savor its complex layers of flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500 g (17.6 oz) pink pralines
- 500 ml (16.9 fl oz) full-fat cream (e.g., crème fleurette)
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 tbsps unsalted butter
- 200 g (7.05 oz) unsalted butter
- 200 g (7.05 oz) whole milk powder
- 1 shortcrust pastry base (homemade or store-bought)
- 50 g (1.76 oz) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Pastry Preparation: Blend flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl, then incorporate cold butter cubes using fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Dough Formation: Introduce egg yolk and vanilla extract, gently combining to create a cohesive dough. Add minimal cold milk if necessary to bind ingredients. Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes to solidify butter and enhance flavors.
- Tart Shell Crafting: Roll out chilled dough on a floured surface to 3 millimeters thickness, carefully draping into a tart pan. Trim excess pastry, pierce base with a fork, and refrigerate for an additional 15 minutes.
- Blind Baking: Preheat oven to 180°C. Bake the tart shell for 15-20 minutes until light golden, then allow to cool completely.
- Praline Caramel Creation: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine pink pralines and heavy cream. Heat over medium temperature, stirring continuously until pralines dissolve and caramel reaches 112°C on a candy thermometer.
- Caramel Setting: Remove from heat and let caramel cool for 5-7 minutes to prevent cracking. Pour carefully into the prepared tart shell, ensuring even distribution.
- Chilling and Serving: Refrigerate the tart for a minimum of 2 hours to set the caramel. Before serving, let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Optionally garnish with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Chill Dough Strategically: Refrigerating the pastry twice prevents shrinkage and ensures a crisp, flaky crust that holds its shape perfectly during baking.
- Monitor Caramel Temperature Precisely: Use a candy thermometer to hit the exact 112°C (233°F) for a smooth, glossy praline caramel without burning or crystallizing.
- Handle Pastry with Cold Hands: Work quickly and use cool fingertips when mixing butter into flour to maintain small, distinct butter pieces that create a tender, light texture.
- Rest Before Serving: Allowing the tart to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes helps the caramel soften slightly and enhances the overall flavor and texture of the dessert.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 22 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg