Pine Nut Crust Recipes

NUT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine the ground nuts, butter and sugar.
• Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
• Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Cool and fill, as desired.

LEMON SABAYON TART WITH PINE-NUT CRUST

Steps:

• Place the pine nuts with three tablespoons of sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and mix with the flour. Using your fingertips or pastry blender, work in four ounces of the butter, a scant two tablespoons of the beaten eggs and the vanilla to form a soft dough. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch straight-sided tart pan.
• Press the dough evenly into the pan and up its sides. Prick the bottom. Bake about 30 minutes, until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Select a large metal bowl that will fit partway into a saucepan. Put about one-and-a-half inches of water into the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Put the remaining beaten eggs, the egg yolks and the remaining sugar into the bowl and beat them using a whisk or a hand-held electric mixer. As the mixture begins to warm and thicken, add about a third of the lemon juice. Continue beating constantly, adding lemon juice as the mixture heats and thickens. The mixture should thicken to about the consistency of yogurt. Beat in the remaining butter. Take care that you do not overheat the mixture or the eggs will curdle.
• Remove the sabayon from the heat and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Preheat the broiler. Broil the tart, watching it carefully, until the top is golden brown.
• Refrigerate for one-and-a-half to two hours, or overnight, before serving.

HALIBUT WITH PINE NUT AND PARMESAN CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• In a medium sized bowl, mix the pine nuts, Parmesan, basil, garlic, and olive oil.
• Place the fish filets on a baking tray (I used aluminum pie pans) skin side down. Salt the upper portions to your taste.
• Press the pine nut mixture onto the salted fish, patting it down to make it stick.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork and is opaque. Don't forget to scrape the brown crusty bits off the bottom of the pan - those are the tasty parts.
• I made this recipe for 2 using 2 fish filets and coating both sides of the fish with the mixture.

HALIBUT WITH A PINE NUT CRUST

Steps:

• Let the fish fillets warm on the counter for at least half an hour prior to cooking them. You want them to be almost room temperature before placing them in the oven, this will help them cook through before the topping is too brown.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the fish in a large shallow baking pan. Mix together the pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, pesto and mayonnaise. Divide this mixture in half and then use a rubber scraper to spread the crust mixture over the top surface of each fillet. Pile it on so that all of the topping is used.
• Bake the fish 10-20 minutes, until the fish is firm to the touch and the crust begins to very lightly brown. The thickness of your fish will determine the cooking time. Serve hot with lemon wedges. Enjoy!

PIGNOLI NUT PIE

Steps:

• Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, cream, and melted butter in a bowl. Whisk until well blended. Fold in the pignoli nuts. Pour filling into the pie crust.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 minutes.

LEMON SABAYON WITH PINE-NUT CRUST

Steps:

• Place the pine nuts in your Cuisinart Food Processor and pulse a few times. Add the sugar and flour and continue to pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the butter, egg, and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate all the ingredients (the dough can be mixed in your Cuisinart stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment). Divide the dough into three equal parts. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before using. (The extra dough can be frozen, wrapped well, for up to 1 month. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats. Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Use your fingertips to press the chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough. Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, then rotate it and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool while you make the filling. (There may be some cracks in the crust; they will not affect the finished tart.) For the Tart: Bring about 1½ inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth. Set the bowl over the pot and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet. Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.

PINE NUT TART

Steps:

• For the tart crust: Add the flour, granulated sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until small pebbles form. With the machine running, add the egg yolk, vanilla and water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Remove to a piece of plastic wrap and press together into a dough ball. Flatten into a disk then refrigerate, at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the honey and pine nut filling: Add the honey, brown sugar and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sugar melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and whisk until melted. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 13-inch circle and place in an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Chill 30 more minutes.
• Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork. Place a piece of parchment in the center of the tart and fill all the way to the top with dried beans. Bake until the crust is set but still slightly pale, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove the parchment and beans.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whisk the heavy cream, egg yolk, lemon zest and juice into the cooled filling. Place the cooled tart shell on a rimmed baking sheet and scatter the pine nuts inside the shell. Evenly pour the filling into the tart crust and bake until the top is golden brown, the filling is set and the very center still has a slight jiggle, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Cool completely before slicing, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.

PINE NUT CRUST

Steps:

• Place the pine nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the sugar and flour and continue to pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
• Add the butter, egg, and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate all the ingredients (the dough can be mixed by hand or in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment). Divide the dough into three equal parts. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before using. (The extra dough can be frozen, wrapped well, for up to 1 month.