Chocolate Cappuccino Tart

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD DOUGH: 1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 egg 1 egg yolk 11/2 cups all purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon baking soda Pinch salt CHOCOLATE FILLING: 3 tablespoons heavy cream 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bits, melted and cooled 3 eggs, separated 2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon water 2 tablespoons sugar CARAMEL SAUCE: 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 3/4 cup heavy cream 10 tablespoons unsalted butter Pecan or vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, optional

TO PREPARE THE DOUGH: With an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and cocoa powder until well combined. Add the egg and egg yolk. Do not worry if the mixture looks curdled. In a separate bowl with a whisk, combine the flour, baking soda and salt, then add this to the butter mixture and combine with your hands. Flatten the dough into a 1/2-inch disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. TO BAKE THE DOUGH: Preheat the oven to 375° F. Between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle, 1/4-inch thick. Butter a 9-inch pie plate and transfer the dough to the pie plate. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. Take a long piece of aluminum foil and fold it into a circle, the circumference of the pie plate. Wedge the aluminum circle over the dough on the inside of the pie plate, gently pressing against the outer edges to hold the sides of the dough up while it bakes. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil, prick the bottom again and bake for 15 minutes or until baked through. Remove and cool thoroughly. TO MAKE THE FILLING: Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream and butter and bring to a boil over low heat. Pour the cream and butter over the chocolate and whisk until combined; cool slightly. Add the egg yolks and coffee to the chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed. Whip the egg whites with the sugar until they form stiff peaks and fold this into the chocolate mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prebaked pie shell and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the filling has risen and the top feels firm to the touch. TO MAKE THE SAUCE: In a heavy saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil and cook until golden brown and caramelized. Turn off the heat. Slowly pour in the heavy cream because it spatters quite a bit. When the spattering stops, the caramel would have hardened on the bottom, but don't worry. Return the saucepan to the heat and slowly bring the mixture back to a simmer, stirring continuously to blend the caramel and cream. When the mixture feels smooth and looks well combined, remove it from the heat and cool slightly. Whisk in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, and transfer the sauce to another container. If you make this in advance, it will harden; but you may soften it by heating it for a minute in a microwave oven. TO SERVE: Serve a slice of the tart surrounded by the caramel sauce and topped with a scoop of ice cream or a spoonful of whipped cream.