{photo by Andre Baranowski, via Saveur}

When Saveur showcased this dessert (from Brooklyn’s Marlow & Sons) on its cover, I thought I’d go mad.  Wow, what a beauty!  At a friend’s request, I made it for my New Year’s Eve dinner party and it was as delicious and it is gorgeous.

Originally published in Saveur magazine

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp. Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
• 10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and softened
• 1⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
• 2 egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
• 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

Caramel Ingredients:

• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 3 tbsp. light corn syrup
• 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. crème fraîche

Ganache Ingredients:

• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• Gray sea salt for garnish

Crust Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350˚.
2. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients.
4. Transfer dough to a 9″ fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and press dough evenly into bottom and sides of pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Prick the tart shell all over with a fork and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a rack and let cool.

Caramel Directions:

1. In a 1-qt. saucepan, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 6 tbsp. water and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer inserted into the syrup reads 340°.
2. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, cream, and crème fraîche (the mixture will bubble up) until smooth. Pour caramel into cooled tart shell and let cool slightly; refrigerate until firm, 4–5 hours.

Ganache Directions:

1. Bring cream to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat.
2. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth.
3. Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate until set, 4–5 hours.
4. Sprinkle tart with sea salt, slice, and serve chilled.

Serves 8.