On my first trip to Mons, Belgium I went on a bit of a mission to find a chocolate shop to bring home a box of those infamous delicacies. On a narrow, twisting street leading away from the town square I discovered “gold” in a tiny shop. It was like walking into a chocolate lovers dream restaurant. Glass case upon glass case was filled with more chocolate varieties than I could have ever imagined. It took an exceedingly long time and much internal debate to select which chocolates would make the trek back home. And as it would happen when I have chocolate in hand, I simply had to eat one of the treasures immediately. Then another. And another. Needless to say, that box of chocolates did not make it on the plane.
I have spent years attempting to create a dessert form of the intense flavor of a Belgium dark chocolate covered caramel. The caramel was gooey not chewy and the chocolate was richly dark. With Rue des Sars Triple Chocolate Tarts I achieved success. Layers of chocolate begin with a flakey chocolate crust filled with an intensely chocolate pudding cream and topped with chocolate whipped cream. Inside all of this luscious chocolate is a gooey caramel filling.
When making this dessert, use the finest dark and unsweetened chocolate available. This recipe used Lindt 70% Cacao and Guittard Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bars. With the cocoa, Callebaut Baking Cocoa Powder would be first choice, but Hershey’s Cocoa is acceptable for providing an intensity of flavor without becoming bitter.
While a purchased caramel sauce will produce an acceptable dessert, using a homemade sauce produces an extraordinary dessert. Baltic Sea Amber Caramel Sauce has exceptional flavor and is easily made. There will be plenty of sauce for this recipe plus some for ice cream or dipping apple slices.
The chocolate crust is pressed into the pans rather than rolled. Created as an unsweetened chocolate pasty crust to buffer sweet fillings, Joan Would Have Loved It Chocolate Pastry Crust produces a flakey crust that withstands the crème filling.
2 large egg yolks
1 c whipping cream
4 oz dark chocolate 70%
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 t unsalted butter
½ c sugar
3 T cornstarch
¾ c whole milk
2/3 c whipping cream
2 T powdered sugar
1 T cocoa
½ -2/3 c caramel sauce, such as Baltic Sea Amber Caramel Sauce
1 chocolate pie crust, such as Joan Would Have Loved It Chocolate Pastry Crust