Chocolate tartelettes with brazil nut caramel filling

Int./Day time

In a dark room, a small group of people is sitting in a circle.

Paula: My name is Paula, and I am a kitchen supply shopaholic.

*Everybody: Hi, Paula.*

Paula: This is my story (flashback fog): there’s a street here in São Paulo, Paula Souza Street. That’s where my problem started.

Don’t judge me: you could lost control there too, because this street concentrates most part of restaurant and kitchen supplies stores in town. You can find everything there, from pots and pans to huge bakery ovens. I can’t go home without buying something. I just can’t.

That’s how I ended up with a ridiculous amount of mini tart tins I never get to use (without mentioning the cookie cutter and the pastry tip ever-growing collections).

But, you know what? Admitting the problem is the first step. And after a long reflection, I came to the conclusion the issue is not really having too many kitchen supplies, it’s having too many kitchen supplies not being used. 😉

Chocolate tartelettes with brazil nut caramel filling

The tart dough is divinely melt in your mouth, crumbly, not too sweet. The caramel is creamy, almost runny, with the brazil nut crunch. The bittersweet chocolate glaze closes the deal. No more words.

Cocoa Shortbread Tart Dough (adapted from here) – makes one 9-inch tart shell, or a lot of minis

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 130g/ 9 tbsp very cold or frozen butter, cut in small pieces
• 1 egg yolk
• the recipe didn’t ask, but I had to add a splash of cold water to gather the dough (mine was too dry and crumbly )

In the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, cocoa, salt and sugar. Pulse to combine. Add the butter. Pulse in short intervals, until it turns into a crumbly mixture, with pieces of butter the size of large peas. Beat the yolk slightly, only to break it. With the machine running, add the yolk in a steady stream, and pulse until the dough holds together. If it’s too crumbly you can’t press into a ball, add more water, one teaspoon at a time. Don’t pulse for more than 10 sec at a time.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gather the pieces of dough into a ball, gently, without kneading too much. It is a crumbly dough, so don’t worry too much about smoothness here.

Butter a 9-inch round tart tin, with removable bottom. Press the dough over the bottom and sides of the tin. Save a small ball of dough for later, in the fridge, if you have any cracks in the shell. Freeze the shell for 30 minutes, while you preheat oven 190°C/ 375°F.

Butter the shiny part of a piece of aluminum foil and line the pie shell, buttered side down. I didn’t do any of this with the mini tarts, I only pricked with a fork to prevent puffing.

Bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil, if using, and press the shells with a spoon if it has puffed. If there is any cracks, patch with the reserved dough. Return to oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes more. Let cool completely over a wire rack before filling and unmolding.

Brazil nut caramel  (inspired by this recipe)

• 250ml warm heavy cream

• 125ml water

• 200g  sugar

• pinch of salt

• 100g chopped brasil nuts

In a small saucepan, mix the water, sugar and salt, and cook  until it reaches a deep golden color. Don’t stir the caramel, just swirl the pan if necessary. Remove from heat and, carefully, add the heavy cream, whisking to combine. Let warm to add the nuts and fill the tart.

Chocolate Glaze (from here)

• 170g semisweet chocolate
• 6 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp corn syrup

In a double-boiler or microwave oven, melt the chopped chocolate and butter until smooth. Add the corn syrup and stir well. Use immediately.

Assembling

Pour the caramel filling in the tart shells, but don’t fill up to the edge. Complete with the warm glaze. Let set at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Garnish with chopped Brazil nuts and unmold to serve.