Tahini Caramel Tart

(aka the Gal Gadot of Tarts)

Gal Gadot, the Israeli star of the Wonder Woman movies, is a national hero here. When someone called this the “Gal Gadot of tarts,” I gave myself a superhero high-five before cutting off another slice. Salty, sweet, rich, and savory, it’s a showstopper that comes together with pantry staples. A butter-and-cream caramel is finished with tahini, which contributes to a gorgeously pourable texture. The press-in chocolate shortbread crust, studded with sesame seeds, is dense and flaky at the same time, a cookie with larger-format aspirations. A small slice, in tandem with a strong cup of coffee, is enough. Bonus: Kept warm, the filling works as a tahini caramel sauce begging for a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

Serves 12 to 14

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes (including minimum cooling time)

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD CRUST

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

¾ cup all-purpose flour

⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

TAHINI CARAMEL

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup heavy cream

½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

3 tablespoons silan (date syrup)

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

⅓ cup pure tahini paste

LABANEH WHIPPED CREAM

⅔ cup heavy cream

½ cup 4-Hour Labaneh (or store-bought), or Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar at medium-high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary, until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and sesame seeds and beat until just incorporated, 15 to 20 seconds. Gather the dough, then press it into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze for 10 minutes, then bake until the crust is golden and flaky but still soft, 25 minutes. Cool completely.

While the tart is cooling, make the caramel: Place the granulated sugar in a medium saucepan (try to use one with a few inches’ headroom) and sprinkle 3 tablespoons water on top of it. Turn the heat to medium, bring to a boil, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the sugar turns syrupy and the color of light caramel, 7 minutes (be careful here; it can burn, so take it off the heat a few seconds early if you’re in doubt, and swirl gently if one area begins to darken more than others). Remove the syrup from the heat, then immediately add the cream, brown sugar, butter, and silan and stir until the butter is melted; the mixture will sputter, then may harden in parts, but don’t worry. Place the saucepan back on the stove. Bring the mixture to a low simmer over low heat and simmer until it’s a deep mahogany color, 11 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, whisk in the salt and then the tahini until smooth, and pour into the baked tart crust. Cool slightly, then chill until the tart is set, at least 4 hours (but overnight is best).

Make the whipped cream: Just before serving, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until soft peaks form, 2 minutes. Add the labaneh and confectioners’ sugar and whip until soft peaks return, 1 minute. Remove the tart from the fridge, slice, and serve with the whipped cream.