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Walnuts Honey Tartelettes

Walnut Honey Tartelettes

I made these to satisfy a craving and to help a family member in need of satisfying hers. I know, it is difficult but I feel I should sacrifice my thighs to help family and friends….! When Sophie came to visit this past month, we tried to make her sample as many local delicacies as possible. We could not get okra and hot sauce to pass her lips but she acquired a taste for tortilla chips, chow-chow, Moose Tracks ice cream, and pecan pies…Yummmm! Of course, as godmother extraordinaire I promised her I would hunt for a recipe in French, using ingredients easily available for her and I would make a batch for the blog so she could get an idea of things to come. While my tree is not quite ready to give me the pecans I needed to come up with a substitute.

I was happy to provide her with a recipe and teach her how to make them but we were faced with a couple of problems. It would be difficult for her to find pecans and corn syrup in France to duplicate the recipe. I admit that I rarely use corn syrup when I make mine and I usually substitute maple syrup or honey without a problem. I don’t really have anything against corn syrup, I just don’t understand the concept of an odorless and tasteless syrup when I can use more flavorful ones. Don’t raise your arms up in the air people and scream "food snob", it is just my opinion, my palate, my tastebuds! The extra boost of flavor after that first bite is really something! As far as the pecans, I told her not to worry if she could not find them easily back home and that walnuts made a great substitute. Since I made them a couple of days ago, I have tried them again with pine nuts, pistachios, cashews and I am happy to report that each nut bring an new dimension to the tartelettes (or tassies as they are often called).

Walnuts Honey Tartelettes

Since I found this recipe on a French blog, La Petite Cuisine, written by the lovelie Elodie, I will provide the measurements in grams but feel free to convert using this site. Like her, I usually use a shortbread crust for nut pies. They are already quite rich so why not continue with the idea and make them even richer?!

Walnut Honey Tartelettes, adapted from La Petite Cuisine.

Makes 4 4-inch tartelettes, and 8-10 mini tassies.
For the tart shells: (not provided by Elodie, but this is my go-to recipe)

1 stick plus 1 Tb. butter, cut in small pieces

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

In a food processor, pulse all the dry ingredients. Add the butter and pulse again. Add the egg yolk and pulse until the mixture comes together in a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate while you prepare the filling. Roll between sheets of plastic wrap and cut out circles larger than your tart shells, fit the dough into the molds and cut out the excess. Set them on a sheet pan and bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Because the dough has a tendency to puff up, I take the shells out halfway through the baking process and pat the bottoms flat with the back of a spoon.

For the filling:

150g chopped walnuts
2 eggs
75g butter, melted
100g light brown sugar
100g honey

In large bowl, whish the eggs with the brown sugar an the honey. Add the melted butter.Divide the walnuts among the tart shells. Slowly pour the filling over the nuts, trying not to move them around too much. Bake at 350 for about 20 mits or until deep golden brown.

Walnut Honey Tartelettes

I know I liked them a lot…I ate a obscene number of the mini ones but in an attempt to be completely fair for Sophie, I had B. and the neighbors try some and they all approved of the honey/walnuts combo. So go ahead dear and have fun!

In the meantime, I am taking a fresh batch to Lisa’s and Ivonne’s Festa Al Fresco coming up on September 3rd…what are ya’ll bringing?!

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Comments


Anonymous September 2, 2007 um 6:17 pm

humm…. it’s amazing


slush September 2, 2007 um 6:21 pm

All I can say is YUM! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this recipe looks great! (Yes, I have to use Thanksgiving as an excuse, bc the husb doesnt like pecan, walnut, or any other nut pie. He says its too sweet. So, I use the holiday to make one anyway, as its tradition!)

And I never thought about it before, but your right, it makes total sense to use another syrup in place of corn. Thanks for the tip!!


Hilda September 2, 2007 um 6:24 pm

tu sais quoi, je remmene des quantites de pecans avec moi parce qu’elle coute la peau des ****** en France rien que pour pouvoir faire du pecan pie. Je n’avais pas pense a remplacer le corn syrup par du miel ou du sirop d’erable mais c’est exactement ce que je vais faire. fabulous merci!


Anonymous September 2, 2007 um 8:14 pm

well well…i’ll try this one, looks reallt yummy


Mallow September 2, 2007 um 9:39 pm

The crust on those tassies looked heavenly! The pistachio version sounds like it could a good one too.


Deborah September 2, 2007 um 10:09 pm

I would have never thought to use walnuts – or any other nut for that matter! These look tasty!


Anonymous September 2, 2007 um 10:50 pm

oh…i made something similar with walnuts and pine nuts after having it in a restaurant. as you said, it is quite rich, but totally delicious. and pretty, too!


Anh September 2, 2007 um 10:51 pm

This is amazing, Helen! In Australia, we don’t normally have corn syrup, so I will follow your advice of using something else instead.


Anonymous September 2, 2007 um 10:52 pm

oh my, mini walnut tarts…I agree with the shortbread for nut desserts…they are just made for each other.


Chris September 3, 2007 um 1:49 am

Yum! These are perfect! A colleague and I have had an inside joke about walnuts and I have been trying to think of what to make her with the lovely nut. I think this would be perfect. ๐Ÿ™‚


Lis September 3, 2007 um 2:20 am

aww they are very cute and very yummy looking!

Thank you so much for bringing them to the Festa.. you did bake hundreds right? ๐Ÿ˜€

Love you!
xoxo


Big Boys Oven September 3, 2007 um 2:27 am

Looks so lovely and so divine.


Cynthia September 3, 2007 um 3:13 am

I love walnuts so I’ll definitely bookmark this to try sometime.


Unknown September 3, 2007 um 4:45 am

I love this. First, because I agree with you about corn syrup, and often plain sugar in general for me. Second, I have been wanting to scale pecan pie down to tart-depth for a while, and now you’ve done the hard work for me. I find the deep dish pie style to be overkill. Third, I adore walnuts, even more than pecans. That said, can I have some pecans? ๐Ÿ˜‰


Helene September 3, 2007 um 4:49 am

Deb: as soon as my tree throws them at me …send me your snail mail addy!


Meeta K. Wolff September 3, 2007 um 6:11 am

You know I can understand Sophie! We hardly get pecans here in Germany either – it’s a huge hunt finding them, which frustrates me like anything. So the more I appreciate your great alternatives – I just have to try this one!


Peabody September 3, 2007 um 6:46 am

Well, you aren’t suppose to eat corn syrup anyway. Natural is always better.
These tarts look devine. I would love the try the pine nut one.


Anonymous September 3, 2007 um 2:55 pm

Only a truly great woman would sacrifice her thighs in the name of family.

You are that great woman!

In Canada, we have a national sweet so-to-speak that we call Butter Tarts and this is right up my alley.

When you get to the party, don’t even put these on the table. Just bring them directly to me.

Merci!


Anonymous September 3, 2007 um 5:42 pm

Those tassies look so yummy. They make me want to go hunt up some nuts and get baking.
I don’t think that choosing more flavor and better ingredients makes you a food snob it just makes you someone whose food is obviously divine!


Finla September 3, 2007 um 6:40 pm

Wow i am glad at last i found a substitute for cornsyrup.
I live in Belgium and when i read American recipes using corn syrup, i always backed off as i have never seen in any shop.
Now atleast i know i can use honey.
Thankyou very much.
Walnut honey tart looks great. I could tast the sweetness while looking to the pice and it going straight to my thighs :-))))
But love it


Kelly-Jane September 4, 2007 um 9:04 am

Oh my, that looks really fabulous!


MyKitchenInHalfCups September 4, 2007 um 10:29 am

I looked at that first picture and thought: pecans! Wonder what it means when you’ve had the same bottle of corn syrup for 10 years? Give me honey.
This is just what I should do at Thanksgiving to avoid a huge pie because pecan is one I can really fall for.


Patricia Scarpin September 4, 2007 um 2:11 pm

With walnuts and honey I’m in for a couple of these, Helen!


Unknown September 4, 2007 um 4:37 pm

I ate at least ten at Festa and they were goooood!!


Cookie baker Lynn September 4, 2007 um 4:37 pm

Wow, I’d never even considered using maple syrup or honey instead of corn syrup. I think I might try a bit of tinkering with my grandmother’s recipe for pecan pie.


Kajal@aapplemint September 4, 2007 um 6:26 pm

this beautiful post has come at the perfect time.I’ve been thinking about letting down my fears and giving shortcrust pastry a try.I’m still not sure if i can do it , but this wonderful tart has given me a reason to do so. I simply love walnuts… and this tart looks absolutely fab ! Well done helen.


Anonymous September 4, 2007 um 6:42 pm

I love how cute and tiny they are! Great post.


kellypea September 4, 2007 um 7:57 pm

Truly one of my favorites, Helene. Sadly, no one in my family likes them so I always have to substitute pecans in recipes with walnuts. I’m gearing up to treat myself and leave everyone else to wish they’d been more tolerant of my tastes!

Hugs to you for the birthday wishes!


Casey September 4, 2007 um 8:56 pm

Like Laura, I ate way too many of these at Festa. Thank goodness I wore a skirt with an elastic waistband.


Nora B. September 4, 2007 um 9:38 pm

Hi Helene, those mini tarts looks perfect. I would have trouble eating just one. I agree with your comment about using more flavoursome syrup. I usually stick to maple or golden syrup. I would like to try this pie with pinenuts.


Amy September 7, 2007 um 7:23 am

That is the same reason I don’t have corn syrup in my pantry. Though I find I need it for caramel-making. Can’t wait for your pecan tree to ripen (hmm… do nuts ripen)? Looking forward to pecan-y desserts to come!


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