Walnut Frangipane And Banana Tartlets Recipes

WALNUT FRANGIPANE AND BANANA TARTLETS

Steps:

• Blend first 4 ingredients in processor until nuts are finely ground. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 5 tablespoons sugar, and brown sugar in bowl until blended. Beat in eggs, then ground walnut mixture. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Roll out each pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 10-inch square. Using 5-inch-diameter plate as guide, cut out 4 rounds from each square. Using tip of small knife, score 4-inch-diameter circle in center of each 5-inch round (do not cut completely through pastry). Pierce 4-inch centers thoroughly with fork. Place pastry rounds on large baking sheet. Chill until very cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 2 1/2 tablespoons frangipane over 4-inch center of each pastry round (reserve remaining frangipane for another use). Arrange banana ovals decoratively on frangipane. Sprinkle bananas on each tart with 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake until pastry is deep golden and bananas begin to brown, about 25 minutes.
• Brush bananas with warm apricot jam. Sift powdered sugar over tartlets. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CRANBERRY WALNUT TARTLETS

Steps:

• Prepare tart shells: In an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and salt, and beat until combined. Add flour all at once, and slowly mix just until flour is evenly moistened. You don't want to mix until a ball forms around the beaters.
• Transfer to a plastic bag and form into a 6 inch log. Seal bag, pressing out any air, and refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours or as long as 4 days.
• Divide log into 8 parts. On a lightly floured board, roll dough into rounds to fit 8 individual tart pans, 3 inch round x 1 inch deep. The dough should be about 1/8 inch thick. Chill tart shells for 1/2 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line tart shells with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake 10 minutes, remove foil and weights and bake shells 5 minutes longer. Remove and cool.
• Prepare tart filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, eggs, butter and orange zest. Divide walnuts and cranberries evenly among the partially baked tart shells. Pour sugar mixture over walnuts and cranberries.
• Bake tarts 20 to 25 minutes or until crusts are golden. The edge of the filling will be firmer than the center. Cool tarts of wire racks and refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove cooled tarts from pans and serve.

APPLE-AND-BLACK-WALNUT-FRANGIPANI TART

Steps:

• To make the dough, put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and pulse until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. (Add water a teaspoon at a time if the dough seems too dry.) Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and ease it into a 10-inch tart pan. Trim the edges. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the chilled crust with the frangipani. Peel, halve, core and thinly slice the apples. Fan the apples over the frangipani. Combine the sugar and the cinnamon in a small cup, mix well and sprinkle over the apples. Bake until the crust is browned and the apples are soft, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
• Remove the tart from the pan. Warm the apple jelly in a small saucepan over low heat until it is just melted. Brush the hot jelly over the surface of the tart. Brush the crust with jelly and dust the crust with ground walnuts. Dust the crust again with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.

WALNUT FRANGIPANI

Steps:

• In a food processor, finely grind the walnuts and the granulated sugar. Set aside. With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the brown sugar and the butter until light and fluffy. Add the ground nut mixture, cinnamon and rum or vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Lower the mixer to the lowest speed and stir in the flour mixture until just absorbed. Use as a filling for tarts, pastries and other baked goods. It will keep refrigerated, tightly sealed, for 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months.

CARAMEL WALNUT BANANA TORTE

Steps:

• TOPPING: Place brown sugar, margarine, and cream in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat just until margarine melts, stirring constantly.
• Pour over bottoms of three 8" or 9" round baking pans, & sprinkle with walnuts.
• CAKE: Place sugar and margarine in mixer bowl and cream for about 2 minutes.
• Add banana and vanilla, mix thoroughly.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing about 15 seconds between each addition on low speed.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.
• Add half of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix for about 30 seconds on low speed.
• Add buttermilk and remaining flour mixture. Gradually increase spead to high and beat about 30-45 seconds.
• Spread batter evenly over nut mixture in pans.
• BAKE: 350°F for 25 - 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pans about 3 minutes. Remove from pans by inverting on to wire racks. (This is very important, if you don't let them cool long enough, the topping runs off the cake, too cool, and it stays in the pan).
• FILLING: Combine sugar, flour and salt in medium saucepan.
• Gradually stir in milk.
• Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Beat the egg in a separate bowl.
• Stir 4 to 5 tablespoons of hot mixture into beaten egg, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing between each addition.
• Pour egg mixture into saucepan with remaining hot mixture. Cook until mixture is thick & bubbly, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and margarine. Cool slightly.
• Refrigerate 1 hour or more until cake is cool and ready to assemble.
• ASSEMBLE TORTE: (Save nicest looking layer for the top). Place one cake layer, nut side up on serving plate.
• Spread with half of filling. Arrange about half of banana slices over filling.
• Top with second layer, nut side up. Spread with remaining filling and banana slices.
• Top with remaining cake layer, nut side up.
• Top with whipped cream just before serving.
• Store in refrigerator.