Caramel Turtle Truffle Tart

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make crust, in a food processor,
combine butter, sugar, and vanilla. Process 1 minute. Add flour and
process to blend. With machine on, add egg through feed tube, and
process just until dough forms and leaves sides of bowl.
Press dough evenly into bottom and all the way up sides of an
11-inch fluted metal tart pan with a removable bottom. Press a sheet
of foil on top of crust and line with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake 10 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake 5 to 7 minutes
longer, or until golden. Let cool.
Meanwhile, prepare truffle mixture. In a 1-quart glass bowl,
combine chocolate chips and 1/3 cup cream. Heat in a microwave oven
on High 1 to 1-1/4 minutes, or until chocolate is melted and smooth
when stirred. When crust is cool, spread three-quarters of truffle
mixture evenly over bottom of crust. Refrigerate 15 minutes, or until
truffle mixture is set.
In a large skillet, combine caramels and remaining 1/2 cup cream.
Heat over medium-low heat, stirring often, until caramels are melted
and mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in pecans. Spread evenly
over chilled truffle mixture.
Heat remaining chocolate truffle mixture in microwave oven on High
15 to 20 seconds, if necessary, to melt. Drizzle with a fork over top
of tart. Refrigerate until filling is set, at least 1 hour. Before
serving, remove side of pan, and using a sharp knife, cut tart into
slices.

COMMENTS: This caramel tart, which tastes almost like a piece of
candy, is a breeze to prepare with store-bought caramels. Pile the
caramel-pecan mixture on top of a chocolate truffle mixture spread on
a butter cookie crust.