Nut Picnic Tarts Recipes

NUT PICNIC TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place twelve 4-inch tart pans with removeable bottoms on a baking sheet. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out twelve 6-inch circles of dough with a sharp paring knife, using an overturned 6-inch bowl as a guide, if necessary. Press dough into tart pans; trim excess. Dock tart shells by piercing the bottom all over with a fork. Chill in refrigerator until ready to fill; set aside.
• Spread pumpkin seeds on a rimmed baking sheet; toast, shaking pan halfway through, until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Spread nuts in separate rows on another rimmed baking sheet; toast, shaking pan until halfway through, until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Let seeds and nuts stand until cool.
• Rough chop macadamia nuts. Combine nuts in a medium bowl; set aside. In a different medium bowl, combine heavy cream and salt; set aside.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Using a sharp paring knife, split vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape out pulp and seeds; add scrapings and pod to melted butter. Swirl pan so butter does not burn; butter will bubble as it brown. Continue cooking until bubbles subside and butter is dark brown and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove vanilla bean; pour butter over cream mixture, whisking to combine.
• In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine water, sugar, and corn syrup; bring to a boil without stirring. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash down the sides of the pan, dissolving any sugar granules. Allow caramel to cook, swirling pan to ensure even coloring, until it reaches 268 degrees on a candy thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in seeds, nuts, and cream mixture; mixture may spatter. Return pan to heat; simmer on medium-low, stirring occasionally, until mixture registers 210 degrees and is a pale caramel color, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat; pour into a heatproof bowl and cool until barely warm, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Fill each tart shell with caramel mixture. Place tarts on a rimmed baking sheet, spaced 1/2-inch apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until crust is nicely browned, about 25 minutes.

BERRY NUT TARTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy; gradually add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , Cut dough into 12 portions. Press onto the bottom and all the way up the sides of greased muffin cups. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. Stir in the cranberries and pecans. Spoon into prepared crusts., Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator.

NUT COOKIE TARTLETS

Steps:

• To make Pastry: Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add the 6 tablespoons white sugar, 2 cups flour and blend well.
• Shape into balls about 1 inch in diameter (flour palms of hands to facilitate rolling). Place ball in greased tartlet pan and flatten. Should fill pan by 3/4.
• To Make Filling: Mix together vanilla, egg, brown sugar, and chopped nuts.
• After flattening ball in tartlet tin make a thumb print in center and fill with a full 1/2 teaspoon of nut filling.
• Bake in a 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 17 to 20 minutes. Cool completely before removing from pan.

CARAMEL NUT TART

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in cream cheese and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. , Roll out dough into a 10-in. circle. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; trim edges., Line unpricked crust with a double layer of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 400°., For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in nuts and vanilla. Spread into crust. , Place tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake until bubbly, for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

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.

CARAMELIZED NUT TART

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in processor. Add butter. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in vanilla and enough ice water by tablespoonfuls to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll dough out on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer dough to 9 1/2-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold overhang in and press, forming high-standing double-thick sides. Pierce dough all over with fork. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Bake crust until set but still pale in color, piercing with fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.
• Make filling:
• Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat. Boil without stirring until caramel is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 9 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Gradually whisk in cream (mixture will bubble). Stir until caramel is smooth. Add butter, honey and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Mix in all nuts.
• Pour caramel mixture into crust. Bake until filling bubbles all over, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on rack.
• Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over hot water just until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle chocolate decoratively over tart. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Serve with cream, if desired.

CRANBERRY NUT TARTS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the butter and cream cheese. Mix in the flour until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• While the dough chills, make the filling. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Press the balls into the cups of mini muffin pans so that the dough covers the bottom and sides. Fill each one with a generous teaspoon of the filling.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges of the tarts are lightly browned.

PLUM PINE-NUT TART

Steps:

• Let dough stand at room temperature until softened and malleable, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• While dough is standing, preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a baking pan toast 2 tablespoons pine nuts in middle of oven until golden, about 5 minutes, and reserve. Cut each plum lengthwise into 12 wedges. In a food processor pulse together remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and anise seeds until pine nuts are finely ground.
• Knead dough on a lightly floured surface 3 or 4 times to help it roll out smoothly, and form it into a disk. On a work surface overlap 2 pieces of wax paper to make a 17- to 18-inch square and dust with flour. Put dough on wax paper and dust dough lightly with flour. With a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 17-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick).
• To transfer dough to pizza pan, slide a large baking sheet under wax paper and invert pizza pan onto dough. Holding baking sheet and pizza pan together, flip dough onto pizza pan and carefully peel off wax paper. (Unwieldy as it may sound, use this same method for transferring dough to a baking sheet if you aren't using a pizza pan.)
• Sprinkle dough with all but 2 tablespoons nut mixture, leaving a border of about 2 inches. Scatter plums over nut mixture and turn edge of dough over plums. Sprinkle plums with remaining nut mixture and reserved toasted pine nuts.
• Bake tart in middle of oven until crust is golden and juices are bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool tart in pan on a rack at least 20 minutes and transfer to a large wooden board. Tart may be made 4 hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature.
• Just before serving, lightly dust tart with additional confectioners sugar.

SAVOURY AFTERNOON-TEA / PICNIC TARTS / QUICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly butter a 12-hole deep muffin tin.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Using a 4-5in pastry cutter, cut out 12 circles. Loosely press them into the muffin tin, retaining a frilly or wobbly edge to them, rather than pressing in firmly around the edges. Chill in the refrigerator.
• In a mixing bowl, beat together the egg yolks, whole eggs and cream and season with salt and pepper. This is your basic mixture, ready to add your chosen flavours.
• If you are doing the goat cheese and tomato filling, crumble the goat cheese into the chilled pastry cases and scatter over the basil. Pour over the egg mixture and then top each tart with thin slices of tomato.
• If you are doing the ham, cheddar and mustard filling, stir the ham, cheese and mustard into the egg mixture and divide it between the chilled pastry cases.
• Place the tarts in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is lightly golden and the eggs have set. Cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the tin. Serve warm or cold as a savoury afternoon treat.

PINE NUT TART

Steps:

• Roll dough out into a round 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface and fit into a 9 inch flan or tart pan with a removable, fluted rim.
• Make a decorative edge ¼ inch higher than the top of the rim; prick shell lightly with fork and chill 30 minutes.
• Put rack in lower third of oven.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Line crust with wax paper or foil and fill with dry beans or pie weights.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove pie weights and paper carefully and bake 5-10 minutes longer, or until golden.
• Let cool on rack.
• Put rack in middle of oven and set oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
• In a bowl, combine sugars, corn syrup, flour and eggs and beat until smooth.
• Stir in vanilla, orange zest and pine nuts and pour into shell.
• Bake for 40 minutes, or until filling is almost set.
• Let cool.
• Melt chocolate and drizzle decoratively over tart.
• Serve at room temperature with cinnamon whipped cream.
• For cinnamon whipped cream: Beat cream until foamy.
• Beat in sugar, a little at a time and cinnamon.
• Beat until it holds stiff peaks.