Caramel Turtle Tart

Crust
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup ground pecans

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

Caramel Topping
35 individually wrapped caramel candies, unwrapped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup roughly chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and pecans. Gather dough into a ball, then press down to form a disk. Wrap dough in plastic and chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes, or overnight.

Press dough evenly into a 9 1/2-inch tart pan with removable bottom. The crust should be about 1/8-inch thick on the bottom and slightly thicker on the sides. Bake crust for 12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Make the ganache: Pour chocolate chips into mixing bowl.

In heavy saucepan, heat cream over medium-high heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat immediately and pour hot cream over chocolate chips. Stir steadily until all chocolate is melted. Pour 3/4 cup ganache over bottom of tart. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt caramels with the cream over medium-low heat, paying careful attention that it does not burn. Stir in pecans. Remove chilled tart from refrigerator and pour caramel mixture over the entire chocolate layer. The caramel should spread slowly and evenly over the ganache. If necessary, even out the caramel layer very gently with a spatula. Return tart to refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Pour remaining 1/4 cup ganache into a pastry bag (or a sandwich bag with a small cut at one corner). Squeeze out ganache in parallel stripes over the caramel layer. Run a knife through the chocolate in perpendicular or diagonal.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

NOTE: The tart can be chilled for up to three days before serving.