Recipe: Walnut Tart

WALNUT TART

"For nut lovers, there is no better dessert than a walnut tart. The recipe is so common that it is claimed by nearly every region of France and is found in varying forms in other parts of Europe as well; everyone, it seems, has his or her own version. This, of course, is my favorite; if you can find honey made from lavender, it's even better."

1 unbaked pastry shell in a 9-inch tart pan
Butter for the dish
1 1/4 cups sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 cup honey
2 cups roughly chopped walnuts (you should have large chunks)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Tear off a piece of foil twice as large as the crust. Fold it in half and smear it with butter; lay the buttered side onto the crust. Weight the foil with a pile of dried beans or rice (these can be reused for the same purpose), pie weights, or a tight-fitting skillet or saucepan-anything that will sit flat on the surface.

Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake at 350 degrees F, until the crust is a beautiful shade of brown. Remove and let cool on a rack while you prepare the filling (turn off the oven).

Put the sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a heavy 6- or 8-inch saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat. Cook, gently shaking the pan occasionally, until the sugar melts and turns light golden, about 10 minutes.

Turn the heat to low, then carefully add the butter and cream-the mixture will bubble up-and cook, stirring, until the butter melts and the mixture is uniform. Stir in the honey and the walnuts, cool a bit, then spread on the crust. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Makes 8 servings
Excerpted from The Best Recipes In The World by Mark Bittman
Copyright 2005 by Mark Bittman. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.