We've all had pecan pie, but have you tried a walnut tart? Here is a great recipe that you can try out if you want to add some variety to your cooking. Walnuts have a more delicate flavour, and adding a hint of rum helps it come out. The tart is also thin, so you won't get the excess sweetness that you may get with pecan tart.
The recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen New Family Cookbook, and the tart shell can also be prepared separately to use in other desserts.
INGREDIENTS
For Tart Shell
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), cut into pieces and chilled
For Tart Filling
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and placed aside to cool
- 1 tablespoon rum or bourbon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1-3/4 chopped coarse walnuts
EQUIPMENT
- Handheld pastry blender
- Rolling pin
- One 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom
- Weights for baking pastry (I use beans)
Making the Tart Shell
- 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), cut into pieces and chilled
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and with the pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until you get coarse flakes that resemble oatmeal.
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Make a well in the centre and add the yolk, cream and vanilla. Mix with your fingertips until you get a dough that separates from the sides of the bowl.
Remove from bowl, pat into a disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 2 days).
Remove disc from fridge and let sit on counter for 10 minutes. Flour your counter and roll out the dough so that it is larger than your tart pan.
Use your rolling pin to roll the dough onto it, and then unroll it into a baking pan. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
After refrigerating, roll onto your rolling pin and unroll over the tart pan. Use your fingertips to make sure that dough covers all the surface. There will be a bit of dough falling off the sides. Use your rolling pin to cut those edges off. The extra dough can be frozen and used later, or like I do, eat it.
Place the tart pan over your baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes. Why so much refrigeration? Well, good you (or I) asked. It happens that when you handle dough, you activate the gluten and it becomes sticky and springy. Refrigerating it after each time you handle it makes it more stable. It will help it shape nicely into the pan and retain its shape when it bakes. Your crust will look much better. Yup, it takes time, but the results won't disappoint. Now let's get back to baking.
Heat your oven to 375˚F and place the rack in the middle position.
Remove the pan from the refrigerator. Remove and discard plastic wrap. Use two long sheets of aluminum foil to line the dough and place the beans or pie weights that you're using.
Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, rotating half way through baking. Remove from oven, carefully lift the aluminum foil to remove weights. It will be a faint golden colour in the bottom and be nicely browned around the edges.
Place back in the oven, since we are making a fully baked shell, for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the shell if golden brown all over and the bottom part dries out slightly.
Place the pan in a rack to cool completely.
Preparing the Tart Filling
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and placed aside to cool
- 1 tablespoon rum or bourbon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
Keep the oven at 375˚F. In a bowl, whisk the sugar, corn syrup, butter, bourbon or rum, vanilla and salt until the sugar dissolves. Add the egg and whisk until combined.
Pour mixture, which will become light brown after you add the egg, into the cooled tart shell.
- 1-3/4 chopped coarse walnuts
Add walnuts over the mixture.
Place the baking sheet with the tart pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the walnuts start to brown. Rotate baking sheet halfway during baking. Remove from oven and place the baking sheet over a cooling rack. The syrup will be boiling, so be careful when handling and make sure you let it cool for at least 2 hours before removing the tart pan.
Once it has cooled to room temperature, you can remove the tart from the baking sheet and the tart pan and place on a serving dish.
The tart can be enjoyed with whipped cream or by itself. Make sure you let it get to room temperature if you refrigerate it to enjoy the full flavour of the walnuts and rum.
Enjoy!