This tart is at once simple and sophisticated. The filling is merely nuts bound with caramel, but when you use gorgeous nuts and a rich caramel “jam,” something magical happens. As is always the case when you’re working with just a few ingredients, you need to get it right. Here the critical factor is bringing the sugar to the proper temperature so that after the tart is assembled and cooled, it will slice cleanly and easily.
Be sure the nuts you choose are unsalted; if you’re using hazelnuts, the skins should be removed. And in all our pastries we like to stress that nuts be completely toasted, toasted through to the center. Undercooking nuts is one of Sebastien’s pet peeves.
Ingredients
- ½ recipe Pate Brisee
- 6.5 ounces (185 grams) Assorted unsalted nuts, toasted
- ½ recipe Caramel Jam6.5, hot
How to Make It
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For the tart shell
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (standard). Line a sheet pan with a Silpat or parchment paper.
- Following the instructions, roll out the dough, line the tart ring, and fill it with raw rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the dough is set and no longer sticks to the parchment paper. Remove the parchment and rice (store the rice for future use), return the pan to the oven, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and golden brown. Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool completely. For the filling
- Toss the nuts together and spread them in the tart shell; the shell will be very full. Pour most of the hot caramel jam over the nuts, letting it run down between the gaps to fill the tart. The nuts will not be completely submerged in caramel, so drizzle some over the top to give them a beautiful sheen. Let cool. Run the tip of a paring knife between the top of the crust and the ring to loosen the crust, then lift off the ring.
- The tart is best the day it is made, but it can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days (do not refrigerate).