SALT AND DDD PEPPER STRAWBERRY CARAMEL MINI TARTS

Hands-on time: 25 minutes Total time: 2¼ hours Makes: 18 mini tarts

We love reinventing a classic, and these adorable mini tarts topped with chocolate buttons up the ante on beloved salted caramel. Think traditional buttery flavour but with a twist of strawberry and the essence of smoky black pepper. This recipe makes enough caramel to have extra for drizzling over fresh berries or ice cream. Strawberry Caramel: 1 cup hulled strawberries, chopped 1 cup granulated sugar 6 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tsp pepper 18 frozen mini tart shells, thawed Chocolate Buttons: 45 g dark chocolate (about bout 1½ oz), finely chopped 2 tbsp whipping cream (35%) 1 tsp light-colour corn syrup ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt or flaked sea salt

Strawberry Caramel: In saucepan, bring strawberries and 1 tbsp water to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently and occasionally mashing berries with potato masher, until saucy, about 5 minutes. Strain strawberries through fine-mesh sieve into small bowl, pressing on solids with back of spoon and scraping bottom of sieve to extract pulp. Discard solids. In large saucepan, stir sugar with 2 tbsp water over medium heat until dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high. Bring to boil; cook, without stirring but brushing down side of pan with pastry brush dipped in water, until light amber, 3 to 5 minutes. Averting face, stir in strawberry purée, butter and pepper. Let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Bake tart shells according to package directions. Let cool completely, about 10 minutes. Remove tarts from foil cups; fill with Strawberry Caramel. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. (Refrigerate leftover Strawberry Caramel in airtight container for up to 5 days.)

Chocolate Buttons: In small bowl, place chocolate. In microwaveable bowl, microwave cream on high until hot, about 1 minute; pour over chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute; whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in corn syrup and up to 1 tbsp warm water to loosen. Using piping bag fitted with small plain tip, pipe chocolate into small swirls in middle of each tart. Sprinkle with salt; let stand at room temperature until set, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)

PER MINI TART: about 167 cal, 2 g pro, 10 g total fatat (5 g sat. fat), 20 g carb (1 g dietary fibre, 13 g sugar), 16 mg chol, 72 mg sodium, 28 mg potassium. % RDI:DI: 4% iron, 4% vit A, 3% vit C. To easily create a homemade look, use a paring knife to cut the ruffled edge off store-boughtght tart shells before baking.