In the Czech Republic, pecans are not as popular as walnuts. In fact, al lot of people have walnut trees in their gardens, including my uncle. I grew up cracking walnuts so my mom can use them for baking Christmas cookies. We also often use rum in baked goods. What we don’t use, on the other hand, is corn syrup. The most common sweetener besides of sugar is honey. Maple syrup has found its way to Czech grocery stores in recent years. I bring different kinds of maple syrup home at Christmas time for my dad who fell in love with everything maple.
That’s how I decided to make a walnut tart this Thanksgiving instead of a pecan pie. I replaced pecans with walnuts, bourbon with rum and swapped corn syrup for honey and maple syrup. I opted for Trader Joe’s creamy maple syrup hoping that its thick consistency would aid the thickening of the filling. I also added a bit of flour to the butter. I am very pleased with the result! The crust held up well and the filling thickened the way it would with corn syrup. Besides of its addicting taste, this salty and sweet holiday treat provides a dose of heart-healthy Omega 3s from the walnuts, antioxidants from dark chocolate and anti-inflammatory properties of honey!
Walnut tart
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Crust:
- 300 g flour
- 200 g butter cold
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 1 egg
Filling:
- 250 g walnut pieces
- 100 g dark chocolate chips
- 70 g butter melted
- 80 g brown sugar
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Pinch of salt
- 3 eggs
- 120 ml honey
- 120 ml maple syrup I used Trader Joe’s Organic Creamy Maple Syrup
- 3 tbsp dark rum
- Coarse salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Sift the flour onto the countertop. Add the sugar, egg and cubes of cold butter. Work the dough with your hands as quickly as you can before the butter starts to soften. Add a little bit of liquid if it is too crumbly. Wrap it in foil or dish towel and refrigerate for an hour.
- Roll the dough with rolling pin on a floured surface. Make sure not to add too much flour or the crust will be hard. If it’s too sticky place a plastic film between the dough and the rolling pin. Roll it out evenly and use the rolling pin to transfer it into the pie form.
- Blind bake the crust at 350°F for 15 minutes.
- Make the filling: Spread the walnuts and chocolate chips in the crust. Whisk the butter, sugar and flour in a large bowl. Add the vanilla, salt, eggs, honey, maple syrup and rum. Pour the filling over the walnuts.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, covering the tart after the first 20 minutes to prevent browning. Transfer the tart onto a wire rack and sprinkle with salt. Let it cool before serving. The tart will keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 4 days. It also freezes well if you have any left.