APRICOT HAZELNUT BUTTER TARTS

[cjs]

Oh my, do these sound wonderful or what??? This recipe was in the latest supplement copy to LCBO magazine that my personal subscription goddess just sent me!! Thank you, thank you, Lorraine - this is one of the better issues and they are all wonderful! W.W. is on hold for a moment here.


APRICOT HAZELNUT BUTTER TARTS

Pastry:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup cold vegetable shortening
2/3 cup ice water
Filling:
1 egg
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts, skins removed
6 apricots, pitted and cut in half

Pastry:
Stir together flour and salt. With a pastry cutter, blend in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, gradually mixing with a fork until dough begins to form. Turn onto a clean work surface, gently bringing dough together with hands. Do not overwork. Pat dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F

Cut dough in half. Roll out dough to 1/8" thickness on a lightly floured surface. With a cookie cutter, cut out 6 4-inch circles. Roll out each circle allowing for slight shrinkage while baking. Press into 6 muffin cups and place in freezer for 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining half of dough

Remove from freezer, line each shell with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights such as dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes or until dough holds shape and is golden on bottom. Remove foil and pie weights and cool on wire rack.

Reduce oven to 350°F

In a medium bowl, lightly beat egg, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla and salt.

Distribute hazelnuts evenly amongst shells. Place apricot half, cut side up, over top. Fill shells with corn syrup mixture and bake until set, approximately 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Remove tarts from pan and cool on wire rack.

Makes 12 tarts


Description:
"Longo's Experience magazine - supplement to the LCBO Canadian magazine"

[Mare749]

Oh, they sure do sound good! My family loves apricot. Thanks for posting this.

Maryann

[Roxanne 21]

Ditto on the sounds good thing-----thanks Jean---another to put in my PILE of goodies to make----GEESH----enough ALREADY!!!

APRICOTS??? YUMMMM!!!

[pjcooks]

A "Joy" recipe-my Mom- who loves all things apricot! A nice choice for Thanksgiving, too, for the sister who can't eat chocolate.

Thank you, Jean (and Lorraine), copied and printed.

PJ

[Lorraine]

"this is one of the better issues "

I guess I should take mine out of the plastic wrap and check it out.

[cjs]

I made these yesterday....mixed feelings on them. They were good flavored, but, it was difficult to taste the apricots - which surprised the heck out of me. I couldn't find any fresh aprictos anymore so, snipped dried and scattered on bottom of shells with the hazelnuts and I would have thot with the strong flavor of the dried fruit it would really come thru, but really didn't



I guess I'd give them a 7...

[Mare749]

That surprises me as well, Jean. That's exactly what I was going to do if I couldn't find good apricots. Thanks for the review. My mom used to make a cookie that was similar, but she used apricot preserves. I'll look for the recipe.

Maryann

[cjs]

"a cookie that was similar, but she used apricot preserves." - oh yes!!

I love apricots - have you ever had apricot pie and dark, dark chocolate ice cream???? oh my, died and gone to heaven. One of the few ways, I will allow my chocolate to be 'played with'...

[Bethp]

Butter tarts - what I missed most when I moved to the States from Canada. I have just found the real thing at the local super Walmart. Yum!! I'm a purist - no apricots or hazelnuts in mine!

[pjcooks]

Quote:

---

"this is one of the better issues "

I guess I should take mine out of the plastic wrap and check it out.

---

Maybe, ya think?

PJ