Greetings to you all from baby land! We’re two weeks in with our new little guy, and I’m thrilled (read: shocked! amazed! perplexed!) to tell you that we’re actually doing so well. I’m not sure what I anticipated this time to be like, but we’ve had such an outpouring of love and support that this transition has been mind-blowingly sweet. Here in the South, people go all out when you have a baby. There’s gifts and baby snuggling and offers to babysit the bigger kids, of course, but hands down my very favorite perk (outside of the baby itself, duh) is all of the food people bring you. Casseroles, baked goods, snacky treats, and booze show up at your door more frequently than the UPS guy on Amazon Prime delivery day. People bring you lasagnas and pot pies and tossed salads like your milk production depends on it, and this kind of generosity is one of those Southern hospitality things that I love so much. Since I’ve had fewer meals to make, I had time to create a new treat to share with you all today: chocolate caramel pecan tarts.

Sweet and salty is my all-time favorite, and the combination of chocolate, salted caramel, and a buttery pecan and graham cracker crust is just the ticket. Made with Diamond Nuts  pecans, these little tarts are a show-stopper and definitely qualify as one of those desserts that people will be talking about for a long time. Although they may appear to be complicated, there’s plenty of shortcuts and make-ahead options that will simplify the baking of these little treats.

To prepare them, we start by crushing graham crackers and finely chopping pecans. Sugar, salt, and melted butter are added to the crumbs and the sand-like mixture is pressed into the bottom of mini tart pans with removable bottoms. The bottomless pans make for easily removal so that your tarts look tidy and seriously professional. Bake the crusts for a few minutes at 350 degrees and get started preparing the ganache.

Equal parts dark chocolate and warm heavy cream are stirred together until a thick pourable chocolate can be layered into the bottom of the baked shells. Once the ganache has had a chance to set, the chocolate caramel pecan tarts are ready for their second layer, salted caramel sauce. You can make your sauce homemade (I prefer this recipe!) or purchase it from the store. I love homemade caramel and almost always have a jar in my fridge, but if this intimidates you, just opt for the store-bought. Spoon a couple of tablespoons on top of the set ganache and allow to caramel to cool to room temperature.

At this point, the chocolate caramel pecan tarts can rest in the fridge or even freeze for a week or two. When you’re ready to serve them, bring them to a cool temp and top with a creamy dollop of whipped cream. A sprinkle of toasted pecans finishes out these chocolate caramel pecan tarts and they’re ready for serving. These little treats are a sweet and salty delight your guests (or just you, no judgement) will seriously enjoy.

I’ve had the most fun working with Diamond Nuts this past year. It’s incredibly easy to support and brag on a brand you love and trust, and their partnership has been one I’ve loved sharing with you. I’ll leave some links to other nutty recipes below so that you can give their products a try in your own home. If you’re looking for a recipe to try right away, I hope you’ll give these chocolate caramel pecan tarts a go. The pecans are the flavorful little stars of the show here, and this crust is one that you can utilize in other recipes as well. If you make time to bake them for yourselves, let me know what you think in the comments below! As always, thank you for supporting brands that make Wood and Spoon possible.

For more nutty recipes like these chocolate caramel pecan tarts you should try:

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

Sweet and Savory Rugelach

Pecan Apple Dutch Baby

Honey Cake with Figs and Whipped Cream Cheese

 

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