It never ceases to amaze me just how fast the biggest meals go rushing by before our very eyes. As cooks we spend days, even weeks choosing our menu, shopping for our ingredients, and stocking our fridges to the gills with containers filled with our raw materials. We cook and cook our hearts out until the last guest has taken his seat at the table, the last bowl of soup placed upon the serving plate.

And then, for one exquisite moment, not a word is spoken and the only sound that can be heard is that of silver brushing against china. For those of us who love entertaining, this is the payoff for all of our toils.

That beautiful moment of silence, an homage to to the cook, is of course followed by lots and lots of satisfied grunting, chomping, and gulping, and if you are dining with my soon-to-be -in-laws, a healthy dose of rambunctious laughter as well. Too soon, it’s over; careful cooking is reduced to leftovers and dishes. And this is why the dessert course is so important. It puts on the breaks after a fast-paced meal, giving us time to stop and savor, not just the food, but each other too. The way I see it, the better the desserts, the longer folks will linger, and maybe they’ll even stick around to help with the dishes.

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart
Adapted from Saveur, Issue #119 from Marlow & Sons in Brooklyn

This tart recipe comes from a restaurant that holds a very soft spot in my heart. It was a huge hit at Thanksgiving this year, satisfying both the caramel lovers and the chocolate lovers at the table. I love the contrast of sweet and salty, complimenting the deep dark chocolate and the tender, cookie-like crust. It’s perfect for the holidays because it can be made in advance (and ideally, needs to be, since there are three steps with three pauses for things to cool or set), freeing the cook from the burden of thinking about it on the day of the big meal or having it take up oven space.

Serves 8 (or more in a multi-dessert situation)

FOR THE CRUST
1 1⁄2 cups flour
1⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp. dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
2 egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

FOR THE CARAMEL
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. crème fraîche

FOR THE GANACHE
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Gray sea salt or Maldon sea salt for garnish

1. Make the crust: Heat oven to 350˚. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Transfer dough to a 9″ fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and press dough evenly into bottom and sides of pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Prick the tart shell all over with a fork, line with foil or crumpled parchment, fill with pie weights (I have a jar of beans that I use over and over for this purpose), and bake until it is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack, remove the weights and liner and let cool.

2. Make the caramel: In a 1-qt. saucepan, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 6 tbsp. water and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer inserted into the syrup reads 340°. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, cream, and crème fraîche (the mixture will bubble up) until smooth. Pour caramel into cooled tart shell and let cool slightly; refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

3. Make the ganache: Bring cream to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours. Sprinkle tart with sea salt, slice, and serve chilled.