Ever since Crust opened, these tarts have been a huge hit, and we serve them daily, always selling out, with the end-of-the-day stragglers squeezing in before we close the doors for the night, hoping they get lucky enough to grab the last one or two. I fill these decadent tarts with pecans, but in Australia, I would make them with macadamia nuts, which are much more easily accessible there. (You certainly can do that here if you have access to macadamias!) Either way, buttery, crunchy nuts mixed with chocolate, caramel, and bourbon make for a magnificent treat, and these tarts are great for sharing, as they are quite rich.
Instructions
4 eggs
1½ cups (300 g) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) good-quality bourbon
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 recipe sweet pastry (recipe follows), cold
1 cup (120 g) pecan halves
½ cup (90 g) semisweet dark chocolate chips
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. Add the salt, bourbon, vanilla, and lemon juice and continue whisking gently. You want to dissolve the sugar, but don’t want to add too much air to the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week.
Lightly brush or spray eight 4-inch (10 cm) fluted tart tins with a neutral oil. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the pastry to about 1/8 inch thick.
Using a cookie cutter, or a thin glass, cut out eight 4½-inch (11 cm) disks. Tuck a disk into each tart tin, pressing it well into all the curves and making sure there are no cracks or air pockets. Ensure the pastry comes right up to the top of each tin, as it will shrink slightly as it bakes. Set the tins on the prepared sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F.
Divide the pecans and chocolate chips evenly among the tarts, then fill each tart with the bourbon caramel mixture. Depending on the depth of your tart tins, you may have some filling left over (spoon it over ice cream!).
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is cooked through and has puffed a little. Transfer the tins to a wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes, then carefully remove the tarts from the tins. Return the tarts to the rack and let cool completely before serving.
These tarts will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Sweet pastry
Makes enough for two 9-inch pie crusts or eight 4-inch tarts
1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (100 g) cake or pastry flour (see note)
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the all-purpose flour and cake flour into a bowl.
In a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, and salt. Using the paddle attachment, beat on high speed until well blended, pale, and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another minute, until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the flour is just mixed in. Do not overmix.
Divide the mixture in half and squish each half with the heel of your palm to make a ½-inch (1.2 cm) thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight, before using.
This pastry will keep, well wrapped, in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen pastry in the fridge for 1 day before using.
Excerpted from Crust by Tom Moore with Rebecca Wellman. Copyright © 2024 Tom Moore and Rebecca Wellman. Photographs by Peter Bagi and Rebecca Wellman. Photo on page xiii by Dominic Hall. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
