Dark chocolate ganache and salted caramel tartlets

During the week, I was invited to a birthday evening dinner. Since I enjoy baking, I offered to bring the sweets. So this week, if my little baby allows me to (3 months and 1/2 by now), I'll be able to post all the recipes of those yummy tartlets (and other things) you see on this tray :)

A selection of homemade petits fours

It's almost impossible to find small sweet bites in Neustadt bakeries; The Germans are found of cakes but they're generally huge to my"normal scale". I actually need to start baking and posting some German cakes because the baking "repertoire" in this country is rich. There is a lot of interesting recipes to share with the rest of the world. I just have to scale the recipes down since we are only a couple with a newborn and most of the cake recipes I have serve between 12 and 24 persons!

But today, I’m sharing with you one of the recipes from this selection of petits fours. Let's start with the dark chocolate ganache and salted caramel tartlets. They're so good and indulging because they have some of those childhood things such as salted caramel (just like those rectangular caramels we used to buy when we were children), such as a sweet crusty dough and a chocolate topping.

I added some cubes of caramelized apples because some might find the caramel a bit “strong” but you might do without. Both versions are very nice.

These tartlets are very good for a buffet or a gathering. It's easy to put together.

They can be made ahead. Every step can be also made days ahead and put together 24hrs ahead or the very last minute..

Before serving, bring the tartlets to room temperature to enjoy the chocolate ganache better.

Mix the flour with salt, sugar and almond. Mix with fingers or a food processor until you get a crumbly texture.

Add the egg. Mix it in without overworking the dough.

Form a ball and flatten it with the palm of your hand over a cling film to make it easy to roll the dough later.

Cover with a cling film and keep in the fridge for 2 hours or in the freezer for about 30 min.

Caramel au beurre sale (About ¾ of a coup).

Melt the sugar over medium high heat until you get a nice caramel golden brown colour.

Take off the heat and add the butter. Stir and put the pan back on the ring.

Poor the cream and stir for about 1 min to have a nice smooth and golden brown cream. Set aside to cool.

Keep the cream caramel in a jar and store it in the fridge.

Before using it, take it out a few minutes beforehand, it makes it easier to spread this amazing sauce.

This caramel sauce can be kept about 2 weeks without problem.

Over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar and the apple cubes. Cook for about 5 min while stirring. Add the spices.

Cook until the apple cubes are cooked through and caramelized. Set aside to cool. I added 1 tbsp of water in case the apple cubes are sticking; just to loosen them a bit (just in case the preparation is gone too dry)

Warm the chocolate and take it out of the heat just before it bubbles, Add the chocolate (in small pieces). Give it 1 min and start stirring from the centre towards the edges until you get a smooth shiny cream.

Cover with a cling film (au contact= the cling film should directly “touch” the cream) and set aside. Use it once cooled and thick.

Make the tartlet shells by rolling the dough thin and placing it in small mini muffin tins or tartlet tins. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees C for about 10 min until nicely golden. Set aside to cool.

Place about ½ tsp of caramel, then a small cube of caramelized apple. Pipe the ganache to finish.

Keep in the fridge but serve at room temperature (Ideally).