I love that this is our routine now. As soon as he comes home, he lights the fireplace and we sit in front of it all night long. Lately, we have also been into cracking our own nuts. It is almost like a fun competition between the two of us. Who is going to crack faster without ruining the nut inside? Not much of an adult behavior, but so much fun to say the least. So last week, after I won the competition(!!), we ended up with so much nuts that I decided to make this caramel nut tart. We both loved it so it had to be shared. In my opinion, this tart is the dictionary definition of a nut lover’s dream dessert. Therefore, if you have family and friends, who love nuts you ought to give this recipe a try.
About The Recipe:
Make the Tart Crust First:
As in most tart recipes, this caramel nut tart has two components. First, you make the tart crust. I am not going to lie to you; I am scared of pie dough. For some reason, I can never get it right like the incredible pie photos you see on Instagram this time of the year. Hence, there is no pie photos on my Instagram feed. However, this tart crust is nothing like pie dough. It comes together easily and there is no guessing of how many tablespoons of water you need to put to get the right texture. I wrote the recipe below with super specific instructions. If you are like me, need detailed foolproof instructions, you are at the right place. The best thing about this tart is that if you have your crust ready, it comes together in less than 45 minutes. If you can, I recommend making the crust a day or two in advance and keep it in the fridge so that it will be ready when you are ready to bake.
Are You Scared of Making Your Own Caramel? Me, too.
Second component is making the nut-caramel filling. Now, I know some of you are scared of making your own caramel. Believe me, you are not alone. However, this Sucanat-sweetened caramel is rather easy to make. Unless you are proficient of making caramel, I highly recommend investing in a candy thermometer as the temperature and texture is crucial for making caramel. Once the temperature reaches 260 F degrees, all you have to do is to add in the cream, butter, vanilla extract, and bourbon. If you are not a fan of bourbon or serving this to kids, feel free to omit it. Once you mix in the nuts, you pour the mixture into the par-baked and cooled crust and bake for 10 minutes in the oven. Once it is out the oven, it is the hardest part, because you have to wait. It has to cool down. Otherwise, not only you won’t be able to slice it, but also it will melt on you. So do yourself a favor and wait until it fully cools down.
A Few Notes on The Recipe:
– Slicing this caramel nut tart is not as easy as slicing a cake. I found that a serrated knife works best.– If you have never used Sucanat in your baking before, I cannot recommend it enough.This is the brand I use. (affiliate link)– I served my caramel nut tart with a scoop of ice cream. However, I just tried it with a generous dollop of creme fraiche and it was not too shabby.– If you want to make it a day in advance, you can certainly do so. Just make sure to cover it with plastic after it fully cools down and keep it in the fridge. Take it out 30 minutes before you are ready to serve, sprinkle it with flaky salt, and accept the compliments. This recipe has been adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s Naturally Sweet Cookbook.
