Best Chocolate Cashew Caramel Tart Recipes

SALTED CARAMEL-CASHEW COOKIE TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Spray 24 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.
• In small bowl, place cashews. Coat each cookie dough round with cashews, pressing cashews lightly into dough. Place 1 cookie dough round in each muffin cup; press slightly. Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Immediately press handle of wooden spoon in center of each cookie to make 1-inch wide indentation. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Loosen with tip of knife; gently remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• In medium microwavable bowl, microwave caramel bits, cashew butter and 3 tablespoons water uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring once, until mixture can be stirred smooth. Spoon about 1 tablespoon caramel mixture into each cookie cup (cups will be full). Refrigerate about 10 minutes or until caramel mixture is set.
• Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring once, until chips can be stirred smooth. Spoon and spread 1 teaspoon melted chocolate over top of each cookie cup; sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Refrigerate about 10 minutes or until chocolate is set. Store covered.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL-CASHEW BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter and bittersweet chocolate uncovered on Medium (50%) 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Microwave 30 seconds longer or until butter and chocolate are melted and can be stirred smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In medium bowl, stir together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar and baking soda. Stir in egg, milk and cooled chocolate mixture until well blended.
• In ungreased 8-inch square pan, press half of dough. Bake 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, cook caramel topping and caramels over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted.
• Remove pan from oven. Carefully pour caramel mixture over partially baked base to within 1/2 inch of sides of pan. Sprinkle with cashews. Crumble remaining dough into small pieces and sprinkle over filling (some of filling will show). Bake 12 to 15 minutes longer or just until edges are set (do not overbake).
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate candy bar pieces uncovered on High 30 seconds or until melted. Drizzle chocolate diagonally over baked bars. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.

CARAMEL CASHEW CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Line baking sheets with waxed paper and grease paper with butter; set aside., In a microwave, melt 1 pound of candy coating; stir until smooth. Drop by scant tablespoonfuls onto prepared pans. Let stand until partially set, about 3 minutes. Top each with six or seven cashews. Let stand until completely set., In a small heavy saucepan, combine caramels and cream. Cook and stir over low heat until melted; stir until smooth. Spoon over cashews. Reheat caramel over low heat if it thickens. Melt remaining candy coating; spoon over caramel. Let stand until set.

CARAMEL NUT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Between 2 sheets of wax paper roll out dough into a 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Transfer dough to a baking sheet and chill 10 minutes. Lift top sheet of wax paper from dough and gently replace on top (this will facilitate removal of paper later). Flip dough over, discarding wax paper now on top, and carefully invert dough into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable fluted rim. Lightly press dough up side of rim, using pieces from overhang to patch any holes. Chill shell 30 minutes, or until firm.
• Line shell with foil, folding over edge to cover pastry entirely, and fill with pie weights or raw rice. Bake shell on a baking sheet in middle of oven 35 minutes and carefully remove foil and weights or rice. If bottom of crust still has patches of translucent undercooked dough, return shell to oven without foil and weights or rice and bake until pastry is completely cooked and golden, 3 to 5 minutes more. Cool shell in pan on a rack.
• Reduce temperature to 350°F.
• Coarsely chop nuts. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and honey, stirring, and simmer 1 minute. Stir in nuts and cream. Simmer mixture 1 minute and pour into shell. Bake tart on baking sheet in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until filling is a few shades darker. Cool tart in pan on rack.
• Chop chocolate and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Cool chocolate slightly and transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a #3 plain tip (slightly smaller than 1/8 inch). (Alternatively, transfer chocolate to a small heavy-duty sealable plastic bag. Squeeze chocolate into one corner of bag and with scissors cut a tiny slice off corner to form a small hole.) Pipe thin lines of chocolate over tart in a back and forth motion to form stripes. Tart may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• Serve caramel tart chilled or at room temperature with ice cream and tuiles.

CHOCOLATE CASHEW TART

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Gradually add the butter with the motor running. Add the egg yolks and water, and mix until just incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form it into a flat rectangle and wrap it tightly in plastic. Place the dough in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least an hour or up to 2 days.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out until 1/8-inch thick. Brush away any excess flour, and cut out eight 3 1/2-inch rounds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place eight 2-inch ring molds on the baking sheet, and top them with the dough rounds. Trim the top edge, and press the dough into the base of each ring to ensure there are no air pockets. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle position. Bake the shells for 7 to 8 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and continue to bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the shells cool completely; then unmold them.
• Make the caramel filling. Combine the sugar, water, syrup and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cover the saucepan and cook to a dark amber color, about 8 minutes, over medium heat. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat the cream until warm. Remove the caramelized sugar from the heat and deglaze the pan with the warmed cream. Return the caramel to low heat and cook until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk the butter into the caramel.
• Make the chocolate ganache. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and syrup to a boil. Meanwhile, place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and gradually pour it over the chocolate, stirring to emulsify. Let the ganache cool to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and then stir in the butter.
• Assemble the tarts. Arrange the tart shells on a clean baking sheet and line the bottom of each shell with some cashews, to reach about halfway up the sides. Reserve additional cashews for garnishing.
• Warm the caramel if necessary, and spoon just enough to cover the cashews in each shell. The shells at this stage should be only one-half to two-thirds full, allowing ample space for the ganache. Let the tarts stand for up to 30 minutes to let the caramel set slightly.
• Warm the ganache if necessary, and fill the remaining space in each tart with the ganache. Let the tarts stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour, at room temperature, to let the ganache set.
• To serve, place a finished tart on the center of each plate, and garnish with some cashews, some candied lemon peel, and a scoop of your favorite ice cream.