Chocolate Caramel Tart

Note from Cheri: This recipe is ultra-rich and indulgent. For even more decadence, and a flavor comparable to those classic candies Turtles, sprinkle chopped toasted pecans over the caramel layer. This tart is a wonderful dessert for parties or entertaining, as it can be made and chilled up to two days ahead of time. Hints: If you have a good food processor, it can make quick, albeit noisy, work of chopping the chocolate. If you're new to making tarts, see our photo tutorial Making Perfect Tart Crusts first.

Crust 1 1/4 C flour 4 T sugar 1/8 tsp. salt 2 tsp. grated lemon zest 3/4 C unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces 1 large egg yolk 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract Chocolate Layer 1 C whipping cream 8 oz. bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped Caramel Layer 3/4 C sugar 1/3 C water 1/3 C whipping cream 5 T unsalted butter pinch of salt 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 C chopped toasted pecans (optional)

Makes a 9 or 10 inch tart, serves 10-12 To make the crust, mix the flour, sugar, salt and lemon peel in a food processor. Add the butter, followed by the egg yolk and vanilla. Process the dough it begins to hold together in clumps. Gather the dough and flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 20 minutes. (You can also make the dough by hand by cutting th butter then mixing in the remaining ingredients, but a food processor makes it easy.) Preheat oven to 400° F. Roll out dough and fit in a 9 or 10 inch tart pan. Pierce the surface of the crust all over with a fork to keep it from bubbly up during baking. Place tart pan with dough in the freezer for 10 minutes, then bake for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. To make chocolate filling, place cream in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Spread 1 1/4 cup of the chocolate filling inn the bottom of the tart crust. NOTE: If you plan on topping your tart with chopped nuts, then put all the chocolate mixture in the baked tart crust. If you're not using nuts, reserve the remaining chocolate for the top layer decoration. Chill the tart crust filled with chocolate for about 30 minutes. To make the caramel, combine the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil the syrup until it becomes golden brown in color, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Be careful, as the mixture will bubble up. Return to the stove and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Chill for about 20 minutes. Spoon the caramel layer over the chocolate tart. If you're not using nuts, put remaining chocolate in a pastry bag and pipe decorative squiggles (technical term) or designs over the surface of the tart. You can also randomly drizzle on the chocolate. If you're using nuts, sprinkle the nuts over the caramel layer instead.