Maple Tart With Toasted Pecans Food

MAPLE PECAN TARTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to handle., Divide dough into 12 portions. Roll each portion into a 5-in. circle; transfer to 12 ungreased 4-in. fluted tart pans with removable bottoms. Trim crust even with edges. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the first 6 filling ingredients. Pour into tart shells; arrange pecans over tops. Bake 25-30 minutes or until centers are just set (mixture will jiggle). Cool on wire racks. If desired, serve with ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers.

MAPLE TART WITH TOASTED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Roll out the pastry, fit it into a straight-sided tart shell, prick it and line it with a sheet of foil. Weight it with dry beans or pastry weights. Bake about eight minutes, until it looks dry but has not colored. Remove the foil and weights, bake it another 10 minutes and remove from the oven.
• Put the pecan halves on a baking sheet, place in the oven and toast about five minutes. Watch them carefully so they do not burn. Spread the toasted pecan halves over the bottom of the tart. Put the chopped pecans on a baking sheet in the oven and toast for five minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• Mix the molasses, maple syrup, rum, melted butter and eggs together. Stir in the toasted chopped pecans. Pour this mixture over the pecan halves in the pastry shell.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the filling is fairly firm. Serve cooled to room temperature, with whipped cream.