Chocolate Caramel Tart With Roasted Bananas

Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter or 7 tablespoons margarine
• 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, finely ground
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter or 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 large bananas
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or 1 tablespoon margarine, melted
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 5 (1 1/2 ounce) godiva dark chocolate bars, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• chocolate curls (optional)
• toasted whole almond (optional)

Recipe

• 1 dough:.
• 2 in medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine at medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
• 3 add confectioners' sugar, ground almonds and salt and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary.
• 4 add egg and mix until combined.
• 5 add flour and mix at low speed until just blended.
• 6 scrape dough onto work surface and shape into a disc.
• 7 wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at leats 1 hour or overnight.
• 8 position rack in center of oven.
• 9 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 10 on lightly floured work surface, roll dough into an 11" circle.
• 11 press dough into bottom and sides of tart pan.
• 12 gently roll the rolling pin over rim of the tart pan to remove excess dough.
• 13 prick bottom dough with fork several times and place pan on cookie sheet.
• 14 cut a 10" square of parchment paper and place in tart shell over dough to cover the bottom.
• 15 fill shell with enoguh dry beans or dry rice to cover bottom and weigh down paper.(can use waxed paper as well, if necessary).
• 16 bake for 15 minutes; remove weights and parchment paper and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
• 17 set aside to cool completely.
• 18 make caramel layer:.
• 19 in medium, heavy saucepan, combine sugar and water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved.
• 20 stop stirring; increase heat to high and cook until syrup turns to dark amber caramel color.
• 21 remove from heat and carefully add cream(mixture will bubble up) corn syrup and butter.
• 22 cook over medium heat until mixture reaches 240f on a candy thermometer.
• 23 remove from heat and very, very, very carefully pour caramel into tart shell.
• 24 let cool 30 minutes.
• 25 roast bananas:.
• 26 without peeling the bananas, slice each in half lengthwise and arrange skin sides down in roasting pan.
• 27 brush butter or margarine over bananas, then sprinkle with sugar and rum.
• 28 bake 15-20 minutes, until skind are black and banana flesh is golden brown.
• 29 set aside to cool.
• 30 assemble the tart:.
• 31 pour caramel layer evenly into baked and cooled tart shell.
• 32 carefully remove skin from roasted bananas.
• 33 cut each banana half crosswise into quarters.
• 34 arrange the quarters in circular pattern over caramle layer.
• 35 make ganache:.
• 36 place the chocolate in medium bowl.
• 37 in a small saucepan over medium-high heat bring the cream to a gentle boil.
• 38 pour the hot cream over the chocolate.
• 39 allow the mixture to sdtand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate.
• 40 gently whisk until smooth.
• 41 pour the chocolate over banana slices and spread evenly with a spatula.
• 42 garnish with chocolate curls and/or almonds, if desired.