Malted Chocolate Pot De Crème Tart

Malted Chocolate Pot De Crème Tart with Salty Sweet Pretzel Topping

(Serves 8)

1 store-bought frozen pie crust, defrosted

Filling:

1¾ cups half & half

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

¼ cup malted milk powder

¼ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons water

2 cups crunchy pretzels, crushed

Bake the Crust

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Transfer the crust to a 10-inch tart pan and gently press into the pan and up the sides. Clean up the edges with your fingers or a butter knife. Bake until the pie crust turns golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. If the crust bubbles up in any spot, just gently flatten them out as soon as the crust comes out of the oven. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before filling. The crust can be baked the 1 day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

Make the Filling

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the half & half, egg, egg yolks, sugar, and kosher salt. Cook, whisking often, until the eggs have cooked and the mixture comes to a boil and curdles (it will definitely curdle!), about 6-7 minutes. Transfer to a blender along with the chocolate chips and malted milk powder, making sure to scrape off any mixture that is stuck to the pot. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel and blend until smooth, about 30-45 seconds. Let the mixture cool for about 15 minutes, then carefully pour the mixture into the cooked shell. Refrigerate the tart for about 4 hours, or overnight, to set.

Make the Pretzel Topping

Line a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside. In a medium pan over medium-high heat, cook the sugar and water until it begins to turn a dark amber color, about 4-5 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, add the crushed pretzels, and mix with a spoon to coat. Spread out onto the prepared baking sheet and let cool.

Assemble the Tart

When the filling is set, sprinkle the pretzel mixture on top and serve.