Ingredients
for the tart shell
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, diced
6 tablespoons (or more) ice water
For the caramel
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather into ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare an 11-inch tart pan with baking spray or grease lightly.
Roll out dough to a 14 inch square and arrange in your pan, folding over the edges. Line with parchment paper and pie weights and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove weights and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes until tart shell is lightly golden.
While the crust is baking, make the caramel sauce. In a large heavy pan add the sugar and heat over medium heat. When the edges start to caramelize, use a whisk to stir everything together. When the sugar has melted, add the cream. It will initially seize up, but just keep stirring over low heat until the sauce is smooth. This can take up to 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter to the caramel, whisking until sooth. Set the caramel aside.
Peel and slice the bananas into 1/2 inch slices vertically (you can also cut them lengthwise horizontally to create a different look).
Pour 2/3rds of the caramel over the tart. Arrange the bananas over the caramel. Drizzle the last 3rd of the caramel over the top of the bananas, and use a spoon or off-set spatula to try and smooth the caramel over the bananas evenly.
Bake another 8-10 minutes until everything has melted together. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cooled (tastes great with vanilla ice cream!)
