Gooey Caramel Chocolate Bars

Before starting this Gooey Caramel Chocolate Bars recipe, organise all the necessary ingredients to make the hazelnut rich shortcrust pastry.

Place in the food mixer and knead. Do not work the ingredients excessively, so that the base does not emulsify, which would make the base more difficult to work later in the recipe.

When the butter, ground hazelnuts and icing sugar are combined, stop the food mixer. Add the egg yolks.

Resume mixing on low speed, without working the preparation too much.

Stop the mixer and remove the flat beater.

Mix the flour and baking powder, then sift...

... over the preparation. It is essential to sift the flour and baking powder together.

Resume mixing on low speed to avoid flour spatter.

Stop the food mixer when the ingredients are combined.

... then transfer onto a baking sheet. The pastry should be quite smooth.

Cover with cling film...

... and flatten evenly. Refrigerate to obtain a firm consistency which will be easier to roll out.
I recommend making this rich shortcrust pastry the day before.

For the gooey caramel filling: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Pour the glucose syrup into a saucepan.

Add the water...

... and melt the ingredients.

Add the castor sugar...

... and cook until it turns into a pale blond caramel.

Reduce the temperature by adding 20 grams of soft butter. Combine, then resume cooking for a few minutes.

Add the whipping cream (at room temperature)...

... and combine with a rubber spatula.

Transfer the caramel into a bowl and refrigerate.

When the caramel is cold, it should have the consistency of a paste.

Place the caramel between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper or cling film...

... and roll with a rolling pin to a thickness of 0.5cm. Place in the freezer to solidify.

Roll out the hazelnut rich shortcrust pastry.

Prick with a roller docker so that the pastry does not puff up while baking.

Using a knife, cut strips of pastry (about 10 x 1.5cm).

Gently place them on a non-stick baking sheet...

... using a small metallic cranked spatula.

Bake at 170°C (gas 3) for 15 minutes.

When cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.

From the caramel slab, cut strips to the same dimensions as the rich shortcrust pastry. If the caramel is too hard, wait for a few minutes. It will rapidly soften at room temperature. When the texture is right, cut the strips as quickly as possible, before the caramel softens too much.

Place the caramel strips on the caramelized almonds. The almonds should stick to the caramel. Place a caramel strip on top of each biscuit. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes to solidify the caramel.

In the meantime, melt the Ghana chocolate couverture in the microwave. When melted completely...

... gently dip a caramel biscuit to coat with chocolate...

... using the tip of a fork.

Extract the chocolate bar with the fork...

... and let the chocolate excess drip.
Place the chocolate bars on a Silpat baking mat and leave in the fridge to set.