Walnutpecan Tarts Recipes

WALNUT CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put the flour in a food processor with the butter and sugar, and mix until it forms fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 1-2 tbsp cold water, and pulse to make a firm dough.
• Have ready a 24cm tart tin. Briefly knead the pastry on a lightly floured surface, then roll out to a round about 5cm larger than your tin. Lift onto the tin with the help of your rolling pin, then press into the corners using your finger. Do not trim the pastry. Fill the pastry case with a round of baking parchment and baking beans. Chill for 10 mins. Blindbake for 10 mins, remove the paper and beans, then bake for 5 mins more.
• To make the filling, put the sugar in a large pan with 3 tbsp cold water. Heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the sugar is completely dissolved, increase heat and bubble until the syrup has turned a rich caramel colour. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until it has dissolved, then stir in the cream. Return to the heat and boil hard, stirring until the sauce is thick enough to leave a gap on the base of the pan when you draw your spoon across it. Stir in the walnuts.
• Fill the pastry case with the nut mixture, levelling it with a fork. Return to the oven for 8-10 mins until the filling is bubbling. Cool for 10 mins before removing carefully from the tin. Serve warm or cold.

PECAN PIE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Grease 30 tart tins or muffin cups and set aside.
• To Make Crust: In a medium mixing bowl cream together cream cheese and 1 cup butter until light and fluffy. Blend in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, forming a smooth dough. Roll into 30 equal balls and press one into each greased tin so it lines the bottom and sides, like a pie crust.
• To Make Filling: In a medium mixing bowl cream together 1/4 cup butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until thoroughly blended. Stir in pecans. Fill each lined tin half full. Mixture will rise as it bakes.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool in tins, then use the end of a table knife to flip each tart out of its tin.

TINY PECAN TARTS

Steps:

• To Make Pastry: Cream butter or margarine and cream cheese. Add flour and mix well. Make into 48 balls; place one ball in each cup of a mini tart pan. Use your fingers or a tart tamper to press out into a tart shell.
• To Make Filling: Break the eggs, but do not beat. Add sugar, melted butter, salt, vanilla and pecans. Mix well. Fill the tart shells. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until delicately browned.

PECAN TARTLETS

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.
• Lightly spray a standard-size 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil (not necessary for nonstick tins). Using the score lines as a guide, cut off 12 1-inch pieces of dough (reserve the rest of the dough for another use). Roll each piece into a ball in your palms (lightly flour your hands, if necessary). Put one ball in the center of each muffin cup.
• If you have a wooden tart tamper, flour it lightly. Press the wider end onto a ball of dough until the dough thins out and begins coming up the sides of the cup, and then twist the tamper slightly to release it. Use the tamper's narrower end to push the dough halfway up the sides and to smooth out the dough where the sides meet the bottom. If you don't have a tart tamper, use a narrow, flat-bottomed glass or your fingers, lightly floured, to press the dough into the cups.
• Tilt the muffin tin to see if the dough reaches the same level in all the cups; also check for any holes in the dough (this could cause the tartlet to stick to the pan). Rub your thumb around the rim of the dough in each cup for a clean, smooth edge. Slightly less than 1/2 inch of each cup should be exposed. Chill for at least 10 minutes to firm the dough.
• In a medium bowl, blend the eggs and cream. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, along with the corn syrup and melted butter; don't overmix. Stir in the vanilla. Transfer the filling to a measuring cup with a spout and pour into the dough-lined muffin cups. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the tops.
• Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 28 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the tartlets to loosen and then let them cool until they're firm enough to handle, about another 15 minutes. Using the tip of a small knife, gently lift the tartlets from the pan and set them on a wire rack to cool.

WALNUT/PECAN TARTS

Steps:

• 1. Cream together the butter and the cream cheese.
• 2. Gradually add flour and mix until combined thoroughly. Set aside. (Can be done with hands or with a mixer.) (Dough can be refrigerated if desired)
• 3. Beat eggs and brown sugar together.
• 4. Add vanilla and chopped nut of your choice.
• 5. Separate the dough into small pieces and press onto tart pan to create a small cup. A non stick pan is preferable. You can improvise also by using a cupcake tray, if you don't have any tart pans.
• 6. Spoon nut mixture into each tart. Do not over fill and remember to stir the nut mixture every time you spoon because the nuts have a tendency to float to the top. You want each tart to have a fair amount of nuts.
• 7. Bake for roughly 30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. There will also be "cracks" in the tarts as well to indicate if they have cooked or not. The oven must be at 350 degrees. *must be hot.
• 8. Once cooled, remove from the pans and sprinkle with powdered sugar as a garnish.

DATE-PECAN PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out dough into a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Using kitchen shears, trim to a 1-inch overhang; fold under. Crimp edges or decorate as desired. Lightly prick bottom of dough with a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in lower third. Line dough with parchment; fill with dried beans or rice. Bake until edges begin to turn golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove beans or rice and parchment; bake until bottom and sides are golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. (Crust can be made up to a day in advance and covered tightly in foil.)
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden and fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely. Reserve 1 cup for topping; coarsely chop remaining 1 1/2 cups.
• In a small saucepan, bring dates, 1/2 cup water, and vanilla to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cook until almost all of liquid is absorbed, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer dates and remaining liquid to a food processor; puree until smooth.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, 3/4 cup date puree (reserve remainder for another use), corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and salt until smooth; stir in chopped pecans. Pour filling into crust; arrange reserved whole pecans over top. Place a foil-lined baking sheet below rack, then place pie dish directly on rack; bake until filling wobbles slightly in center when gently shaken, 50 minutes to 1 hour. (If crust is getting too dark, cover with a foil ring.) Transfer to wire rack; let cool completely, at least 4 hours. Serve room temperature.