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1
Roll out the shop-bought pastry to about a pound coin thickness and line 6 individual fluted tartlet tins.
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2
Put the tarts on a baking sheet and place some greaseproof paper inside each one.
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3
Tip in some flour or baking beans to stop the pastry from rising when blind baking.
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4
Bake in a 180C oven for approx 10-15 minutes.
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5
Remove the greaseproof paper and return to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes at a temperature of 160C, just to cook out the base.
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6
Once cooked and cooled, brush with dark chocolate to insure the pastry doesn't go soggy.
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7
This will also give you another chocolate hit.
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8
To make the caramel, place the sugar into a pan over a low heat.
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9
Pour the cream into a jug, and then heat to boiling point in the microwave.
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10
The sugar will caramelise around the edges; don't be tempted to stir just yet as the sugar will crystallise.
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11
Once the sugar becomes fully golden, you can stir it, breaking down any little bits of sugar left.
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12
You should then be confronted with caramel - a loose golden syrup.
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13
In little stages, over a low heat still, slowly and carefully, stir in the cream.
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14
The cream and caramel will combust and bubble up; don't be scared by this, it's good.
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15
Once the cream has been stirred in, add another batch and continue until all the cream has been put in.
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16
Keep over the heat to cook out a little and add the butter and the salt.
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17
Remove from the heat and keep stirring until all the butter has melted in.
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18
Leave to cool for 10 minutes before pouring the caramel into the cooled tart case.
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19
It should reach just under a half of the tart case.
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20
Leave this to set and form a skin before topping with the ganache.
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21
To make the ganache place the cream, butter and salt into a pan and slowly bring to the boil.
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22
Place the dark chocolate in a bowl and leave until needed.
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23
Once the creams have boiled pour over the two chocolates and leave to stand for 1 minute.
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24
Stirring from the centre outwards, mix the cream and chocolate together making a ganache.
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25
If the ganache begins to split add a dash of cold milk - that should bring it back.
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26
Pour it straight onto the set caramel and then leave this to set overnight - we don't want this ganache to be set too hard, hence why we aren't putting it in the fridge.
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27
To make the caramelised nuts place the nuts in batches and icing sugar into a pan and continually stir over the heat until the sugar crystallises around the nuts add a pinch of salt and then leave to cool.
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28
Place these on top of the ganache before it has fully set.
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29
To make the chocolate shards place 100g dark chocolate into a microwaveable bowl and heat gently in 30 second bursts to temper the chocolate - this will ensure crisp, shiny chocolate shards.
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30
Once the chocolate has nearly melted, continue to stir until the chocolate has fully melted.
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31
Spread thinly onto some greaseproof paper or acetate (which you can buy online or from stationery stores) and leave to set.
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32
To serve, break the chocolate into shards and stick into the ganache.
