The Caramel Nut Tart Recipe Like a sophisticated European nut tart or an American candy bar, this tart features the sticky goodness of nuts and caramel encased in a thin buttery pastry shell. But it’s the coconut both the chewy shreds mixed with the nuts and the coconut milk in the caramel that sets it apart. As the tart bakes, your house will be filled with a nutty, sugary tropical fragrance.
Makes one 10-inch tart, about 12 servings
Caramel Nut Filling:
1⁄2 cup (27⁄8 ounces/80 grams) cashews
1⁄2 cup (21⁄8 ounces/60 grams) unsalted shelled pistachios
1⁄2 cup (21⁄2 ounces/70 grams) pecan halves
1⁄2 cup (21⁄8 ounces/60 grams) walnut halves
1⁄2 cup (21⁄2 ounces/70 grams) hazelnuts
1⁄2 cup (11⁄2 ounces/44 grams) finely shredded unsweetened dried coconut
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup (62⁄3 ounces/190 grams) sugar
1⁄3 cup (4 ounces/114 grams) corn syrup
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1⁄4 cup (2 ounces/57 grams) unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons evaporated milk or milk
1⁄2 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
All-purpose flour for rolling
1 disk Gingered Tart Dough
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. To make the filling: Spread all the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut, stir, and toast for 3 minutes more. Remove from the oven and cool slightly, then toss with the salt and cornstarch.
3. To make the shell: Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Roll the dough to a 1⁄8-inch thickness, rotating the circle a quarter turn with each roll. Lightly flour the dough and loosely roll it around the rolling pin, then unroll it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 10-inch tart ring set on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and press it up against the sides. Pierce the dough all over with a fork. Trim off any excess.
4. Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper, and bake until the dough is dry to the touch, about 10 minutes more. Cool completely on a rack.
5. Put the sugar, corn syrup, and lemon juice in a large saucepan and set over high heat. Bring to a medium caramel, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove the caramel from the heat and add the coconut milk and evaporated milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, then add the butter.
7. Set over medium-high heat and whisk constantly for 2 minutes. (The mixture will attempt to boil over—just keep whisking vigorously.) Add the nut mixture and stir vigorously with a heatproof spatula or a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
8. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell. Bake until bubbly in the center, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely before serving.
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| Caramel Nut Tart |
