Salted Honey Nut Tart

By: Chef Deanne Steffen Chinn
Blue Ginger

If the thought of Thanksgiving prep has you feeling a little nutty, take a breath and let pastry chef Deanne Steffen Chinn guide your dessert table planning with this recipe for a salted honey nut tart. The seasonal confection is a welcome addition to the usual fruity contenders, bringing savory, salty and sweet flavors to every slice.

Details

Yields: one 9-inch tart

Ingredients

For the tart dough:
  • 3 sticks butter
  • 1/2 cup confectioner sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
For honey nut filling: 
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 1/2 cups assorted nuts, toasted

Directions

For the tart dough:
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. In a mixer, cream the butter and confectioner sugar together until no butter chunks remain. (Do not over mix.) Scrape down the bowl.
  3. Add the egg yolk. Mix until incorporated then scrape down the bowl again.
  4. Add the flour and mix until crumbly.
  5. Add the heavy cream and mix until the dough comes together. Take off the mixer. Flatten into a disc about 1" thick. Wrap in plastic and let rest at least 20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  6. On a well-floured surface, roll out a large circle, it should be less than 1/4 inch thick.
  7. Roll the dough onto a rolling pin then unroll over a 9-inch fluted tart shell. Once in the tart pan, press the tart dough into the tart shell and trim the excess dough. Place in the freezer to rest for 20 minutes.
  8. When the tart shell is hardened, place a piece of parchment or wax paper into the tart shell. Fill with raw rice or raw beans to weigh it down. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
  9. After 25 minutes take the tart shell out of the oven and, when slightly cooled, remove the rice or beans and paper. Place the shell back in the oven and bake for 5 minutes more or until crust is light golden brown.
For the honey nut filling:
  1. In a 2-quart sauce pot, bring the butter, sugars, honey and heavy cream to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute.
  2. When the minute is up, turn the heat off and stir in the vanilla extract, salt and nuts. Mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated.
  3. Pour the filling into the pre-baked tart shell. Place on a sheet pan and bake at 300 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.

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