Bittersweet Chocolate and Carob Ganache Tart with Malted Candy Brittle

From the kitchen of Carly

A buttery tart crust cradles silky bittersweet chocolate and carob ganache, their deep flavors balanced by subtle earthiness. Crispy malted candy brittle shatters across the top, adding textural contrast and a hint of toasted sweetness to each luxurious bite.

Bittersweet Chocolate and Carob Ganache Tart with Malted Candy Brittle

Carob brings an earthy, almost cocoa-like depth that plays beautifully against bittersweet chocolate, then the malted brittle shatters across the top for textural redemption. The tart's custard-like ganache is less fussy than it looks, just cream over melted chips, and that all-butter crust holds it all without complaint. Make this the day before if you want the drama without the last-minute scramble.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
n/a
Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 1/2 cupall purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 tbspsugar
  • 1 tspcoarse kosher salt
  • 3/4 cupchilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 3 tbspchilled heavy whipping cream
  • 1 largeegg yolk
  • 2/3 cupbittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cupcarob chips*
  • 1 cupheavy whipping cream
  • 1 tbspbutter, room temperature
  • 1/2 tspvanilla extract
  • 1Malted Candy Brittle

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and 1 teaspoon coarse salt in a large bowl. Add the chilled butter cubes and work them in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, stir the cream and egg yolk together until combined, then drizzle that over the flour mixture. Stir until the dough comes together in moist clumps, then gather it into a ball, flatten it into a disk, wrap it, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

  2. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch round. Lay it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, then trim the overhang down to 1/2 inch. Fold that overhang inward and press it against the sides to create a double-thick wall. Pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, then chill it for 30 minutes.

  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the chilled crust with foil and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until the sides are set, about 20 minutes, then lift out the foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes more. Set it aside to cool completely.

  4. In a medium bowl, combine the bittersweet chocolate chips and carob chips. Bring the cream to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, then pour it directly over the chips. Let everything sit undisturbed for 1 minute, then stir until the mixture is fully melted and smooth. Add the butter and vanilla, stirring until glossy and blended. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and refrigerate uncovered until firm, at least 4 hours. Meanwhile, chop the brittle into rough 1/2-inch pieces. Both the tart and the brittle can be made 1 day ahead; cover each separately and keep chilled, then bring the tart to room temperature before serving.

  5. Pop the tart out of the pan, scatter the brittle pieces over the top, and serve.

  6. Carob chips are similar in form to chocolate chips and carry a mildly sweet, earthy flavor. Look for them at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and natural foods stores.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Let the ganache fill come to room temperature before serving, about 15 minutes out of the fridge, so the flavor actually registers and the texture softens enough to cut cleanly.
  • Carob chips can be harder to find than chocolate, but they're worth hunting down at specialty stores or ordering online. They won't taste like chocolate, and they shouldn't. Their mineral sweetness is the whole point here.
  • Don't skip the double-thick crust edge. It's stronger, less likely to shrink, and gives you something substantial to hold onto when you slide the tart pan away.
  • Chop the brittle just before serving. If it sits on the tart longer than an hour, it'll start to soften and lose that crucial snap.

Variations

  • Skip the carob and use 1 full cup of bittersweet chocolate chips for a purer, darker intensity.
  • Swap the malted candy brittle for crushed honeycomb candy, which gives you the same crunch but with caramel notes instead of malt.
  • Make this with a coconut oil crust instead of butter if you're looking for something dairy-free, though the flavor will shift noticeably toward tropical.
  • Layer the filling with a thin spread of salted caramel before pouring in the ganache for extra depth.

Make ahead and storage

The tart keeps, covered and chilled, for up to 2 days. Don't freeze the finished tart with brittle on top, but you can freeze the unfilled crust for up to 3 weeks. Reheat slices briefly at room temperature rather than in the microwave so the ganache doesn't seize.