Chocolate-Caramel Walnut Tart

Prepare Tart Pastry: In large bowl, mix flour and salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissors-fashion, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle in 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with fork after each addition, until dough is just moist enough to hold together.

Shape dough into disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight. If chilled overnight, let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before rolling.

On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough into 14-inch round. Ease dough round into 11" by 1" round tart pan with removable bottom. Run small knife or rolling pin over rim of tart pan to remove excess dough. Refrigerate tart shell 30 minutes or freeze 10 minutes to firm pastry before baking. Preheat oven to 425 F.

Line tart shell with foil; fill with pie weights, dry beans, or uncooked rice. Bake 12 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake 10 to 12 minutes longer or until golden. If crust puffs up during baking, gently press it to tart pan with back of spoon. Cool tart shell in pan on wire rack. While shell cools, prepare Chocolate-Caramel Filling.

Chocolate-Caramel Filling: In heavy 3-quart saucepan, heat sugar and 1/4 cup water over medium-high heat until melted and amber in color, about 10 minutes, swirling pan occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in cream until a smooth caramel forms; stir in chocolate and butter until melted. Stir in chopped walnuts and vanilla.

Pour warm chocolate filling into cooled tart shell. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until set. Remove side of pan to serve. Garnish with whipped cream and walnut halves.