Pecan Molasses Tartlets Recipes

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy; blend in flour and salt. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Shape into 1-in. balls; press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased mini-muffin cups. , For filling, in a small bowl, beat the egg. Add brown sugar, butter and vanilla; mix well. Stir in pecans. Spoon into tart shells. , Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before carefully removing from pans. Garnish with maraschino cherries if desired.

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup butter and cream cheese in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add flour gradually, beating at low speed. Shape mixture into 48 balls and place on a baking sheet. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease the cups of a mini-muffin pan. Press 1 chilled dough ball into each cup and shape into a tart shell.
• Whisk brown sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons butter, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in 1 1/4 cups pecans. Spoon mixture into tart shells. Top with the remaining pecans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookie shell are delicately brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Gently remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes.

Steps:

• For the Pate Brisee - Place half of the flour in the bowl of a chilled mixer and on medium speed, add the the butter, a little at a time. Mix until the butter is no longer in chunks and the butter and flour are combined as one. Add the salt and the remaining flour. Stop the mixer to check the dough that all of the butter's been combined. Add water just to combine. Remove the dough to a cutting board and lightly knead several times, then wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
• Spray the tart ring with non-stick spray. Once dough has rested, place on a lightly floured surface. Flatten into a larger circle and using a rolling pin, roll the dough back and forth a few times, then turn 90 degrees and roll again. Continue to roll and turn until the dough is just under a ¼-inch thick and about 12-inches in diameter. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and bring the dough over the ring. Gently shape the dough inside the ring making sure the bottom is square and flat. Place back in the refrigerator to rest, 10 minutes.
• Once the dough has rested, place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and trim the edge, then remove the excess dough (you can use this dough to make another tart shell). Place in the refrigerator to rest, 20 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Par-bake dough by lining parchment paper on top of chilled dough, then add rice or beans on top (this will keep the bottom flat as it bakes). Bake the shell 35 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pecan filling. In a large bowl, combine maple syrup, light brown sugar, salt, molasses and whisk to combine. Whisk in heavy cream, followed by egg yolks, melted butter and bourbon. Pour mixture through a strainer into another bowl.
• Remove tart shell from the oven and gently remove rice or bean weights by lifting the corners of the parchment paper. Place tart back in the oven uncovered for 10 more minutes.After 10 minutes, remove tart shell and carefully remove the ring to check for doneness. It should be evenly golden brown all the way around, as well as underneath. Then, replace the ring and cool to room temperature, 20 minutes. Meanwhile, reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees F.
• Spread chopped pecans evenly across the bottom of the tart shell. Then ladle filling on top, starting in the middle and going towards the edge. Fill tart shell almost to the top. Arrange pecan halves on top followed by a little more filling. (If you have leftover filling, you can use it for another tart.) Bake until filling is set, 45-50 minutes. Cool and serve.

Steps:

• Pulse pecans, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add 4 1/2 cups flour and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse until pea-size pieces remain. With motor running, stream in 3/4 cup ice water; pulse until dough begins to form large clumps.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface. Knead briefly to combine, then pat into a flat rectangle. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.
• Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on 2 long sides.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured, long piece of parchment (at least 20") and roll out to a larger rectangle. Top with another floured piece of parchment; roll to a 19x15" rectangle about 1/4" thick (if dough becomes too warm, chill 5 minutes). Remove top layer of parchment. Gently transfer parchment-lined dough to baking sheet so short sides of parchment hang over short sides of baking sheet. Press dough up sides of baking sheet until dough is just hanging over rim, then trim so edges are flush. Crimp with a fork, if desired, then prick bottom of dough with fork. Freeze dough 20 minutes.
• Bake crust until edges are lightly browned and beginning to set, 15-20 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until solids begin to brown and butter smells nutty, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in granulated sugar. Add corn syrup, molasses, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and stir to combine. Add eggs and whisk until smooth.
• Pull out center rack of oven; place crust on rack. Pour filling into crust and carefully return rack to oven. Bake pie 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and continue to bake until filling is set but wobbles slightly when baking sheet is tapped, 20-25 minutes more. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool.
• Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Whisk egg white in a large bowl until frothy. Add brown sugar and salt and whisk to combine. Add pecans and mix with a spoon until evenly coated.
• Spread pecan mixture on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing once halfway through, until toasted and crisp, about 8 minutes. Toss pecans, then transfer to a large bowl. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and toss to coat. Let cool, tossing occasionally to ensure pecans don't stick together, then coarsely chop.
• Place chocolate in a small bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate. Tap bowl to submerge chocolate in cream; let stand 1 minute.
• Using a small whisk, stir chocolate mixture in the center until shiny and smooth. Pour ganache over pie and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Sprinkle candied pecans over pie while chocolate is warm. Let pie cool at room temperature at least 2 hours or chill 1 hour.
• Using parchment, transfer tart to a large cutting board or serving platter. Cut into squares to serve.
• Pie can be made 1 day ahead; loosely cover and chill.

Steps:

• Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with a piece of plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Set baking pan aside.
• Combine sugar, corn syrup, molasses, butter, and heavy cream in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer registers 250 degrees, about 12 minutes. Pour caramel into prepared pan; freeze until cool and set, about 1 hour.
• Invert pan of caramel onto a cutting board, and pop out the caramel; remove plastic. Cut the square into six equal sticks.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place chopped pecans on a piece of parchment. Roll each stick in the nuts, forming a log and coating completely. Place logs on baking sheet, and transfer to the refrigerator.
• Place the chopped chocolate and the shortening in the top of a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir mixture until melted, and remove from heat. Remove logs from refrigerator.
• Using a pastry brush, coat each log with a layer of chocolate, and return to baking sheet. Chill until chocolate has set, about 15 minutes. Keep remaining chocolate melted.
• Pour remaining chocolate into a 4 1/2 by 9-inch loaf pan. Roll logs in chocolate, one at a time, coating completely. Return logs to baking sheet, and refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes more.
• To make petits fours, slice each log into 24 1/3-inch-thick slices; place in petit-four cups, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray or line with a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together honey, syrup, molasses, vanilla, and salt. Add pecans and toss to combine. Spread pecans in a single, even layer on prepared baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
• Remove pecans from oven and transfer to a large bowl; stir in melted butter. Spread pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; let cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Combine the molasses, sugar, eggs, bourbon, butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and stir to mix. Place the pecans in the bottom of the pie shell and spread evenly. Pour the molasses mixture over the pecans.
• Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until firm around the edges and slightly loose in the center.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for several hours before slicing.
• Everyday Piecrust
• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and stir to mix.
• Cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives in a crosscutting motion until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Work quickly so the butter remains cool and doesn't melt into the flour.
• Combine the 3 tablespoons ice water with the egg and vinegar in a separate bowl and stir to mix. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until the dough clumps together and is moist enough to pat together. Do not mix any more than necessary. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together; do not add so much water that the dough becomes wet or sticky.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, with lightly floured hands, form into a ball. Divide the dough in half and form each piece into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or for up to 3 days.
• Check the pie recipe for special rolling instructions. To prepare a basic pie shell, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for about 10 minutes. Place on a lightly floured work surface. Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Fold the dough in half or gently roll it onto the rolling pin and lift it over the pie pan. Press the dough lightly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the excess dough, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of dough draped over the pan. Roll the extra dough under itself to form a rim around the edge of the pan. Crimp the rim of dough with your fingers or press with the tines of a fork. Prick the bottom of the crust two or three times with a fork to create small holes.
• Cover the crust with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days, before proceeding with a recipe or partially or fully prebaking the crust (see Know-how, page 345).
• Jam Tarts
• Start with the trimmings or one full recipe of Cornmeal Crust (page 331), Sweet Tart Crust (page 344), or Everyday Piecrust (page 341). Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Press the dough into 2-inch tart shells and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Fill each shell with about 1 teaspoon of your favorite jam and arrange on a baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator to chill completely, about 1 hour.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the jam is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving warm or completely cooled.