Mini Hazelnut Tarts Recipes

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and the flour. Add the eggs, hazelnuts, chocolate chips, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir well. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 1 hour.
• Cool the tart for at least 30 minutes before serving.

HAZELNUT-CHOCOLATE MINI TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400ºF.
• Process flour, butter and cream cheese in food processor 30 sec. or until mixture is well blended and starts to form ball. Shape dough into 24 small balls; press onto bottoms and up sides of 24 mini muffin pan cups.
• Bake 10 to 12 min. or until lightly browned. Run knife around sides of cups to loosen crusts; cool completely.
• Meanwhile, microwave COOL WHIP, chocolates and chocolate-hazelnut spread in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 to 1-1/2 min. or until chocolates are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 30 sec. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Remove crusts from pan; fill with chocolate mixture. Top with nuts.

CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT PRALINE TART

Steps:

• Make the pastry. Cream together the butter and sugar, then add flour and almonds. Bring everything together with the egg. If the pastry is very soft, chill for 20 mins. If not, roll out to fit a deepish 23cm fluted flan tin; if the pastry breaks, press scraps of pastry into the gaps, leaving a slight overhang. Chill for 20 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line the case with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 10 mins. Remove beans and cook for another 10 mins until golden.
• Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a dry pan until starting to brown. Scatter over 4 tbsp of sugar, cook until it caramelises, then tip nuts onto a baking tray lined with parchment. Leave to cool, then roughly chop. Over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate, butter and alcohol together, then set aside to cool slightly. Over the same pan, beat the egg, yolks and remaining sugar until pale and fluffy. Take off the heat, then fold in the chocolate mix.
• When case is cooked, remove from oven and turn the heat down to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Scatter most of the hazelnuts over the base, then tip in the chocolate mix, pressing it down slightly. Cook the tart for 15-20 mins until the chocolate has almost set. Leave to cool, then serve scattered with the remaining nuts. Can be made up to 1 day ahead.

HAZELNUT CARAMEL MINI TARTS

Steps:

• Butter 30 metal mini muffin cups.
• Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add 5 tablespoons cream and vanilla and blend, using on/off turns, just until mixture begins to clump together, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.
• Press 2 teaspoonfuls dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of each prepared mini muffin cup. Pierce tart crusts all over with fork. Freeze crusts 30 minutes before baking.
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Bake frozen crusts until golden and baked through, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer to rack and cool crusts in muffin cups 10 minutes. Carefully loosen crusts from muffin cups. Transfer crusts to rimmed baking sheet and cool completely.
• Place 2 to 3 hazelnuts (or equivalent of chopped hazelnuts) in each crust.
• For caramel filling:
• Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, 2 tablespoons water, and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
• Bring mixture to boil, then boil 2 minutes without stirring (mixture will bubble up and thicken slightly).
• Remove pan from heat.
• Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously); stir until smooth.
• Pour caramel into 2-cup measuring cup; cool 10 minutes. Spoon caramel over hazelnuts in crusts, filling crusts almost to top. Refrigerate until caramel begins to firm up slightly, about 1 hour.
• Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Drizzle melted chocolate over top of tartlets. Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.