Mrs. Field's Caramel Chocolate Tartlets

By HeatherS

Ingredients

• Pastry:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 white sugar
• 1/2 cup salted butter, chilled
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4-5 Tbs ice water
• Caramel Filling:
• 3/4 cup salted butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 3 Tbs heavy cream
• one 16 oz. solid semisweet or milk chocolate bar, room temperature

Preparation

Step 1

In medium bowl combine flour, sugar and butter with a pastry cutter until dough resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks, vanilla. Gradually add ice water until dough can be shaped into a ball. Or, use a food processor fitted with a metal blade to combine flour, sugar and butter until resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks, vanilla and ice water by Tablespoonfuls, and process until dough begins to form a ball.

Flatten dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in plastic bag. Chill 1 hour or until firm.

On floured board using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut 4 inch rounds to fit into 3 1/2 inch diameter tart pans. Gently press into tart pans and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove tart shells from refrigerator and prick bottoms with a fork. Bake 13-15 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden brown. Cool tart shells to room temperature.

To prepare the caramel filling:

Combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Place over medium heat, and stir constantly until sugar dissolves. Turn heat to high and boil without stirring for 2 minutes, or until large bubbles form.

Remove from heat and stir in cream. Cool caramel 5 minutes and then pour into tart shells. Cool caramel tartlets to room temperature. Use a vegetable peeler to slowly and carefully shave curls from the chocolate bar. SPrinkle tartlets with chocolate curls.

Yield:8 tartlets