salted caramel, chocolate and macadamia praline tarts

Makes: 12 tarts.

Ingredients:

FOR THE TART PASTRY:

90g unsalted butter

3 tbsp water

1tbsp vegetable oil 

1tbsp sugar 

pinch of salt

1 cup flour 

FOR THE PRALINE:

1/2 cup macadamias, roasted and chopped

1/4 cup sugar 

FOR THE GANACHE:

335g dark chocolate 

90g butter

250ml cream 

FOR THE CARAMEL FILLING:

395g can dulce de leche ( alternative- boil condensed milk for 3 hours, let cool and then use)

Method:

preheat the oven to 200c and get out a muffin pan. 

for the pastry: place butter, water, oil, sugar and salt in bowl. put the bowl in the oven for 15 minutes until the butter is melted, bubbling and just beginning to brown around the edges. carefully remove the bowl from the oven and add the flour, stir quickly until the dough comes together and pulls away from the side of the dish. put a tablespoon of dough into one muffin hole and press into the base and up the sides using your fingers. repeat until all the doughs used. prick the dough with a fork once or twice and bake for 8-12 mins until the pastry is golden brown all over. 

for the praline: start by ling a tray with baking paper. pour sugar into a small saucepan and place it over a medium heat. it will start to brown and caramelise at the edges. do not stir the caramel. you can swirl the pan or use a spatula to push the darker caramel areas away from the edges and into the sugar, but NO STIRRING!!! once the sugar has turned into liquid caramel and its a dark amber colour, pour in your chopped macadamias, stir to coat and pour the whole thing onto the baking tray. spread the praline out so the nuts are in a single layer and set aside to harden. once it has set either chop it up with a sharp knife or pulse in a food processor.

to make the ganache, chop the butter and chocolate into small cubes and place them into a medium heatproof bowl. in a small saucepan, bring the cream to the boil and pour over the chocolate and allow to stand for 2-3 minutes then slowly starting in the middle working your way outwards combine all the ingredients and make a ganache. set this aside.

to assemble the tarts. put a tablespoon of the caramel into the base of each tart shell. spread it out so it forms an even layer. sprinkle a little sea salt and top with a thin layer of praline. then spoon the ganache over the top till the tart is filled. sprinkle more praline into the centre. put the tarts aside so the ganache can set