The following recipe and excerpt for Almond Hazelnut Mini Tarts are from “German Heritage Baking” by Heidrun Metzler. It’s currently available on Heidrun Metzler’s website.
This recipe was an experiment I tried on a whim, thinking it would be nice to have pies ready made as individually sized tarts. They turned out splendidly. The tarts bake in a muffin pan, which concentrates the heat to give each little tart a beautifully domed and caramelized top, a golden crust, and a gooey center. The filling is a simple but irresistible medley of nutty flavors. Garnish options at the end of the recipe include an easy whipped cream topping or fresh hazelnut buttercream frosting. The mini tarts are also delicious plain with powdered sugar sifted over the top. Be warned—the handheld size makes these treats all the easier to grab and devour.
Almond Hazelnut Mini Tarts
Ingredients
For Crust:
For Filling:
For Easy Whipped Topping:
For Hazelnut Buttercream
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Set aside ¼ cup of the measured flour to use as needed while working the dough and pressing it into the form. Sift the remaining flour and the baking powder onto a large marble or wooden board. Form a well in the middle and sprinkle the salt around the edge. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla into the well. Cut the butter into small pieces, approximately ¼ to ½ inch. Distribute the pieces over and around the flour. Using the tip of a metal dough scraper or broad, non-serrated knife, stir the egg as if gently scrambling. Begin carefully pushing the dry ingredients into the well’s center. Work to combine all ingredients, first with the dough scraper or knife and then with your hands, until a ball of dough forms. Add flour sparingly or chill as necessary if the dough becomes too sticky.
- Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Roast the hazelnut meal: Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high. Add the hazelnut meal into the skillet and flatten it down with a spatula. Toast the hazelnut meal for about 5 minutes, to a light brown color, then stir and flip regularly to brown evenly. If smoke starts to develop, the skillet is too hot. If that happens, remove from heat for a brief time and continue stirring, then return to heat as needed, with the temperature reduced as needed. Aim for golden brown, not dark brown. If the hazelnut meal darkens too much, it will become bitter. Spread out hazelnut meal on a plate to cool to room temperature.
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour each cup in the muffin pan. Set aside.
- Separate the eggs: Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and the yolks in a small bowl. Whip the egg whites to firm peaks.
- Make the filling: Using an electric mixer or food processor, blend the roasted hazelnut meal, almond meal, sugar, unwhipped heavy whipping cream, and egg yolks until fluffed and creamy, about 45 to 60 seconds. Place ¼ cup of the mixture in a small bowl and stir in the orange liqueur and vanilla. Add back to the remaining mixture and stir thoroughly. This process will distribute the liqueur and vanilla flavors evenly.
- Give the egg whites a few strokes with a wire hand whisk to whip up any liquid that may have formed at the bottom of the bowl. Slide the whites over the nut meal mixture and fold in gently to incorporate.
- Roll and cut the dough: Roll out the dough to about ⅛-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter or drinking glass to cut out twelve circles. Gently press the circles into the muffin pan cups. Keep the crusts short of the rims so they have room to rise during baking.
- Assemble for baking: Scoop filling into each crust, keeping it a little short of the crust’s edge so the filling has room to bake up. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (350°F for 10 minutes, then reduce to 325°F for remaining time). The tarts are done when the tops appear golden brown and crackly. Cool tarts in pan on a wire rack to room temperature. Once cooled, pop the tarts out of the cups with a fork. Serve plain and
dusted with powdered sugar, or with easy whipped cream topping or hazelnut buttercream. - Whip the cream with the powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Sprinkle the finely ground and roasted nut meal on top and fold under to incorporate. Pipe the topping onto the tarts.
- Remove the butter from the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before beginning the buttercream. Place on a counter to soften.
- Cream the softened butter with an electric mixer on medium for 10 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Set aside until step 15.
- Fill the bottom of a bain-marie with about 1 to 2 inches of water and place on the stovetop over high heat. There should be enough water in the bottom that it will heat the pot above, but the water should not touch the pot above.
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice and pour into the top pot of the bain-marie. Scrape the pulp from the vanilla bean and add to the egg mixture. Whisk constantly throughout this step. Egg mixtures for cream should not be heated too quickly or the protein in the eggs separates and the cream will curdle. Bring water in the bottom pot to a simmer. Keep whisking the mixture, as if whipping egg whites, to dissolve the sugar and fluff up the eggs, about 5 to 6 minutes. Use a fast-read kitchen thermometer to watch the temperature as the mixture thickens while whisking; the egg mixture must reach a temperature of 160°F/71°C. The temperature may go up to 165.2°F/74°C at the end. Keep whisking constantly and vigorously toward the end of the process as the egg mixture thickens. Without vigorous
whisking, the bottom will start to set and clump. As soon as the mixture has thickened enough that the pot becomes visible when running a wooden spoon over the bottom, remove from heat. Add the lemon zest and continue whisking vigorously to get the mixture cool and even fluffier, about 2 minutes. - Once cooled to lukewarm, use a whisk to fold one-third of the creamed butter into the egg mixture. Continue with the rest of the butter, one-third at a time, until all is fully incorporated.
- Take out ⅓ cup of the buttercream and mix it with the orange liqueur, then add back to the remaining buttercream and fold in to incorporate. Fold in the finely ground and roasted nut meal for a full-bodied, delicate nut taste.
- Refrigerate the buttercream for 1½ to 2 hours before using as a frosting. The buttercream should be set and firm but still spreadable. When ready to use the buttercream, remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until softened enough for easy piping; stir every so often to ensure even softening.
Easy Whipped Cream Topping
Hazelnut Buttercream
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