Monday, September 1, 2008

Little hazelnut tartlets with caramel fudge icing

Little hazelnut tartlets with caramel fudge icing

Bad hair days. Those merciless, cruel days when you look in the mirror and all you see is a member of some band from the 80s.
We can have bad hair days when it comes to cooking, can’t we? This recipe qualifies as one.

In some pans, the batter overflew and the ones that didn’t delivered funny-looking tartlets. To make me feel even worse, the icing wasn’t spoonable as the one on the original recipe.

Before you start thinking “what the heck is she posting this for?” and my friend gets mad at me again, let me tell you that these tartlets were delicious. Delicious. Worth all the hair I pulled out while they were in the oven. :)

I’m completely hooked on the Australian Gourmet Traveller’s website, so get ready to see lots of their recipes around here.

Little hazelnut tartlets with caramel fudge icing

Little hazelnut tartlets with caramel fudge icing
from Australian Gourmet Traveller

100g cold butter, coarsely chopped
1 vanilla bean, scraped seeds only
3 egg whites
180g pure icing sugar, sieved
70g hazelnut meal
50g plain flour
finely grated zest of 1 orange
crème fraîche, to serve

Caramel fudge icing:
330g light brown sugar
100ml pouring cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
20g butter, room temperature

Butter and flour 4 12cm-diameter fluted tart pans*; set aside.

Cook butter and vanilla seeds in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until dark nut brown in color (4-5 minutes), then set aside until completely cool.

Preheat oven to 170ºC/338ºF. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form, gradually add icing sugar, whisking continuously until thick and glossy. Fold in hazelnut meal, flour and orange rind, then cooled butter. Divide among the prepared pans and bake until golden (20-25 minutes). Stand for 5 minutes, then remove from moulds and cool on a wire rack.

For caramel fudge icing, combine ingredients in a saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves (2-3 minutes). Bring to the boil and cook until mixture reaches 114ºC/237ºF on a candy thermometer (4-5 minutes).Transfer to an electric mixer, add 80ml of hot water and whisk until glossy. Working quickly, spoon onto tarts and stand until set. Serve with crème fraîche – I served it with whipped cream.

* I used 8.5cm pans and ended up with 8 tarts

Serves 4

30 comments:

Manggy said...

Oh, that is quite unique! Not like any tart I've seen before at all. More of a... I dunno, succés, I believe. But still looks good whatever its name! My desperation move for when something didn't set is to stick it in the fridge for a while until I can spoon it.

The AGT website is really wonderful, isn't it? I haven't made anything from it yet, but I still buy back issues of the real thing (the pictures are just too beautiful!). But to know that the recipes can be accessed wherever you are in the world is a great thing.

Anonymous said...

Hey they are different looking, I like em' really ! Perfecto!

Anonymous said...

They look delicious and in the end its the taste that counts :)

Anonymous said...

Oh lala, that looks so good.
Must try them out soon.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

That silky, glossy topping is irresistible!

Sally said...

All your food and piccies look so very yummy. Nice blog.
Thank you for visiting mine and leaving a comment.
Love Sally.

Anonymous said...

Bad hair days... we can all relate. :) These look *so* yummy, Patricia!

Elly said...

Oh my, these look heavenly! YUM.

Dragon said...

I think they look perfect. Wow!

Brilynn said...

The tarts in the pics look awesome! And caramel fudge icing? I'm so there!

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with these tartlets ? They look as good as they taste, for sure !
I have my bad hair days too...

Anonymous said...

I don't know if this is good or bad, but I have more bad hair days than I do bad kitchen days. If both were bad all the time, I'd probably need to live in a hole!
These look so good!

Anonymous said...

Bad hair days or not, I think these are a winner. The caramel fudge icing is calling out to me, and I'm fasting! Tsk tsk. Hehe :P

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

Patricia, if you served me that right now, I would eat it in a second!

ChichaJo said...

Hazelnut? Caramel fudge? Lead me to it! :) They look and sound great Patricia...not at all badhairday-ish! :)

I have a couple of Gourmet Traveller back issues...like Manggy I love their gorgeous photos! Thanks for the weblink to them...you can bet I'll be ogling their cyberhome too!

LyB said...

Crunchy, creamy and smooth, those look delicious Patricia! And yes, we're allowed "bad hair days" in baking too! :)

Anonymous said...

I may be missing the main ingredient, but I'm still saving the recipe. Looks rich from here.

Sarah said...

Despite the trouble these gave you, they look amazingly delicious.

Anonymous said...

These look so good! I love hazelnut in desserts. Great recipe!

Alexa said...

I am glad that you didn't let all those complications prevent you from posting this... They sound so delicious to me. I am a hazelnut, chocolate aficionado and the caramel just makes it that much better.

Kana said...

They look delicious Patricia! No really!

Elle said...

They look great to me! I'd happily have one...or two.

Nic said...

I think they look brilliant! That filling is a winner too.

Patricia Scarpin said...

Mark, when I read the recipe I found it very different and unusual, too - that's why I printed it immediately. :D
I'm in awe with those recipes!

Cathy, grazie, sweetie!

Linda, my father says that all the time. ;)

Paul, I'd love to see your version.

Susan, that icing is really to die for. :)

Sally, thank you for visiting me too!
xoxo

Michelle, I knew my blogger friends would sympathize with me. :)

Elly, thank you!

Dragon, tks!

Bri, that icing is something delicious, honey - I should make it again and use it on a cake!

Vanille, thank you, darling!

Kristen, I think you've said it all! :)

Hi, beautiful! Poor you!
xoxo

T.W., I like hearing that! :)

Joey, I'm completely addicted to their recipes - and the photos are amazing!

LyB, I'm glad I can count on you, darling!

Marysol, thank you, sweetie.

Sarah, thank you!

Farida, love hazelnuts, too!

Alexa, I'm in for anything caramel, too. :)

Maya, thank you, dear!

Elle, they were very much appreciated around here - thank heavens!

Nic, thank you, darling! That filling is something, I'll tell you. :)

Deborah said...

I can see why these were worth it - they sound and look amazing!

Anonymous said...

They look absolutely delicious Patricia! They remind me a bit of Bannoffee tarts which I also love. I wonder how putting some slices of banana would go on these?

cindy* said...

i think these are pretty! and really, how can you go wrong with chocolate and hazelnuts? oh, wait...you can't.

Gattina Cheung said...

If I am fatten up, it is only worthwhile by eating GOOD food!
Can I be your coworker :D

Helene said...

I think I's be able to gobble up about 6 of those with a straight happy face:) Looks decadent and wonderful!

Anonymous said...

ay que rico!!!! nice pic too!

Related Posts with Thumbnails