Salted Honey & Macadamia Tart
Adapted from Foodgal and The Beetlebung Farm Cookbook" by Chris Fischer
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8
Degree of difficulty: medium
Crust:
- 1 cup plain all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 60g/0.5 stick butter, melted and cooled
- 5 tablespoons water
Filling:
- 3/4 cup macadamias, lightly roasted and roughly chopped*
- 2/3 cup honey
- 50g/1.7ozs. butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
*To lightly roast macadamias, roast for 5 minutes in a 180C/350F oven.
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and add the butter and mix. Add water to create a shortbready texture that is damp enough to press into a tin. Take a 10inch/25cm tart tin or pie dish and press into the base and sides. I use a flat bottomed glass to flatten the crumbs. Bake for 15 minutes-there is no need to weight this pastry with pastry weights or rice. Cool.
Step 2 - Place the honey, butter and sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat on medium heat. Allow to come to a boil and cook until it thickens slightly - about 10 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Whisk in the cream - make sure to get the bits of hardened toffee. Add the salt in - start with 1/2 teaspoon and then add more if you want the salted flavour to be more pronounced. Then add the egg and whisk until combined.
Step 3 - Scatter the macadamias on the base of the tart shell and then pour over the honey syrup. Bake in the 160C/320F oven for 30 minutes. Serve with thick cream or ice cream.