Hazelnut Caramel Mini Tarts

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 5 tablespoons chilled whipping cream (or more)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked (or use chopped)
• 1 1/3 cups packed golden brown sugar
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons whipping cream
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Recipe

• 1 butter 30 metal mini muffin cups.
• 2 blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• 3 add 5 tablespoons cream and vanilla and blend, using on/off turns, just until mixture begins to clump together, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.
• 4 press 2 teaspoonfuls dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of each prepared mini muffin cup. pierce tart crusts all over with fork. freeze crusts 30 minutes before baking.
• 5 preheat oven to 350°f
• 6 bake frozen crusts until golden and baked through, about 25 minutes.
• 7 transfer to rack and cool crusts in muffin cups 10 minutes. carefully loosen crusts from muffin cups. transfer crusts to rimmed baking sheet and cool completely.
• 8 place 2 to 3 hazelnuts (or equivalent of chopped hazelnuts) in each crust.
• 9 for caramel filling:
• 10 combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, 2 tablespoons water, and salt in heavy medium saucepan. stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
• 11 bring mixture to boil, then boil 2 minutes without stirring (mixture will bubble up and thicken slightly).
• 12 remove pan from heat.
• 13 add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously); stir until smooth.
• 14 pour caramel into 2-cup measuring cup; cool 10 minutes. spoon caramel over hazelnuts in crusts, filling crusts almost to top. refrigerate until caramel begins to firm up slightly, about 1 hour.
• 15 stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. drizzle melted chocolate over top of tartlets. chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.