A Perfect Gift for Father’s Day.
Chocolate is, by far, the most popular sweet treat in the world. Over three million tons of Cocoa Beans a year are a testament to its popularity. Not only is Chocolate luscious, creamy, and aromatic, eating chocolate makes us feel good. And the even better news is that it’s good for the heart and the brain. Today’s over-the-top recipe adds two ingredients that taste like they were made for chocolate: Luscious Caramel and a sprinkling of Fleur de Sel. Topping a chocolate crust is both a layer of caramel concealed by one of chocolate ganache. Then Fleur de Sel adds a perfect tang to every bite.
The Original Recipe for the Tart comes from an extraordinary restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Celebrated on the cover of an issue of Saveur Magazine, “12 Restaurants That Matter”, Marlow and Sons (81 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11249 Tel: 718-384-1441) is 
quirky at its best. You can buy groceries and wine here or you can eat in. It’s been around for over a decade. Opening at 8 am it keeps going until 8 at night. Its menu changes daily and depends on what the cooks feel like making. In making his version of the tart, Andrew made some changes. No surprise to me, his changes were reflected in the comments on Saveur’s website. You do need some resting time between recipe steps. So you might want to start this Saturday for Father’s Day Sunday.
What is Chocolate exactly?
Not surprisingly, Chocolate is the fruit of a tropical tree whose name means “Food of the Gods” in Greek. Theobroma Cocoa trees are native to the Amazon and Orinoco river basins of South America. The trees grow from Southeastern Mexico to the Amazon River. They thrive in tropical heat and humidity. Legend has it that the Aztec King 
Montezuma served the Conquistador Cortes a bitter chocolate drink. Cortes said it was disgusting. But when his men added cane sugar and honey to it, they took it back to Spain where it quickly became popular. So popular in fact that growers established plantations in West Africa, South, and Southeast Asia. Today Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Brazil account for 79 percent of the world’s Cocao production.
Eating Chocolate is Good For You
Full of phytonutrients, Chocolate is a great antioxidant. Cocoa beans are also rich sources of iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, and 
phosphorus. One little caveat: Dark Chocolate is two to three times more beneficial than milk chocolate. Milk Chocolate Cocoa concentration is diluted with milk and often, more sugar. A large-scale study of more than 150,00 male US Armed Service veterans suggested that eating an ounce of chocolate at least five times a week may help prevent coronary heart disease. Chocolate may also be good for the brain. It may improve cognitive function. A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that 400 Portuguese citizens over 65 who ate a moderate amount of chocolate once a week decreased their risk of cognitive decline by a staggering 40 percent over two years. Imagine! Eating something that makes you feel so good is actually good for you. Here’s today’s recipe and after it some other Chocolate indulgences.
Chocolate Caramel Tart
A chocolate crust is topped with both a layer of caramel concealed by one of chocolate ganache then showered with Fleur de Sel. Magnificent!
Ingredients
- For the Crust: 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
- For the Caramel: 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
- For the Chocolate Ganache
- 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- Fleur de Sel for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 To Make the crust: Heat oven to 350. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Step 2 Using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Mix in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Transfer dough to a 9″ fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
- Step 3 Press dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Prick the tart shell all over with a fork and bake until cooked through about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool.
- Step 4 To Make the caramel: 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 220°.
- Step 5 Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, cream, and crème fraîche (the mixture will bubble up) until smooth.
- Step 6 Pour caramel into the cooled tart shell and let cool slightly. Refrigerate until firm, 4–5 hours.
- Step 7 To Make the Ganache: Bring cream to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream.
- Step 8 Let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate until set, 4–5 hours.
- Step 9 Sprinkle tart with sea salt, slice, and serve chilled.
The All-Time Greatest Chocolate Cake: Beatty’s Chocolate Cake