Delicious Noix Caramel Beurre Tartelettes

These buttery walnut caramel mini tarts showcase the perfect marriage of crunchy nuts and smooth French pastry. The flaky crust paired with shiny caramel creates a dessert that looks fancy but comes together quite easily. My family has treasured this treat during holidays, and I always get a craving when walnuts come into season.

I stumbled on this combo during a dreary autumn afternoon. The tarts disappeared within seconds and quickly became my go-to for presents and community dinners. There's something magical about the nutty foundation with that salted caramel center that just feels like home.

Round Up Your Ingredients

• Softened butter: gives the tart shell its tenderness and flavor try to find good American or European brands
• Powdered sugar: helps create a tender pastry with fine texture make sure to shake it through a strainer
• Toasted hazelnut meal: adds wonderful earthy notes warm it gently without letting it burn
• Salt: enhances every other flavor try sea salt for best results
• Egg: binds everything together and adds richness pick a fresh large one
• All-purpose flour: forms the base of your crust go for medium-protein options
• Walnut halves: the main attraction of your filling get the freshest ones and warm them slightly
• Granulated sugar: transforms into your caramel pure cane works most reliably
• Salted butter: makes the caramel richer and tastier never swap for margarine
• Heavy cream: turns your caramel silky smooth look for cream with 30% fat or more
• Vanilla ice cream (optional): nice for serving not required but really completes the dessert

Tasty Preparation Steps

Cool and Make the Tart Base:

Shake powdered sugar onto soft butter in a big bowl. Mix them until smooth for about two minutes with a spoon or beater. Add your toasted hazelnut meal with a tiny bit of salt and blend completely. Pour in a beaten egg and mix until it all comes together without overdoing it. Lastly, add flour and mix until you get a smooth ball. Press the dough into a flat round and wrap it tightly. Let it sit in the fridge for at least two hours so flavors mingle and butter firms up for easier handling.

Shape Your Mini Tart Shells:

Dust your counter with flour and roll dough until it's about two to three millimeters thick. Cut out six to eight circles a bit bigger than your tart pans (around eleven to twelve centimeters). Carefully pick up each circle and fit into greased and floured tart molds, pushing gently across the bottom and up the sides. Cut away extra dough with a knife or by rolling across the top. Poke holes in the bottom using a fork. Put the filled molds on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Pop them back in the fridge for fifteen minutes to stop them from shrinking.

Pre-bake the Empty Shells:

Heat your oven to three hundred fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit. Put parchment paper in each shell and fill with baking weights or dry beans. Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes until they turn golden and smell amazing. Take them out and carefully remove the weights and paper. Let the shells cool fully on a rack before adding filling.

Warm and Break Up the Walnuts:

Lay walnut halves on a baking sheet and warm in the oven at three hundred fifty-five degrees for about five minutes until they smell nutty and look slightly golden. Let them cool a bit, then roughly break them up. Save some bigger pieces for looks and texture.

Cook Up the Salted Caramel:

In a heavy pan, spread sugar evenly and cook over medium-low heat without touching it. When the edges start melting, gently tip the pan to help it brown evenly. Once it turns deep amber color, mix in the chopped salted butter in small batches, letting each part melt and bubble. Remove from heat and slowly add cream while stirring constantly - it will bubble up fiercely so pour gradually. Stir until it looks smooth and glossy.

Mix Walnuts and Fill Your Tarts:

While caramel stays warm, stir in chopped walnuts until they're fully covered and shiny. Spoon the walnut-caramel mix into your cooled tart shells, spreading to the edges and pressing down lightly. Let them sit at room temperature so the caramel can set before you serve them.

Those warm walnuts always make me happiest. Their smell takes over the kitchen and brings back memories of baking with my grandma. Nobody in my family can resist grabbing a few straight from the tray while waiting for the caramel to harden.

Tasty Upgrades

They taste even better the next day. Keep your tarts in a sealed container at room temp for up to two days or in the fridge to last longer. If you stack them, put baking paper between layers so they don't stick. Try adding some orange peel to the dough for a winter touch or put thin slices of fresh figs or pears under the caramel for fall vibes. Sprinkle with some flaky salt just before eating for a modern twist.

Ways to Serve

Enjoy them slightly warm or at room temp. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream works great and brings a cool balance to the sticky caramel. These little tarts look wonderful at afternoon tea or as the sweet ending to a dinner with friends.

Fun Variations

If you can't find hazelnut meal, almond meal works fine though it will smell a bit different. For a gentler taste, swap the walnuts for pecans. Make the caramel using unsalted butter and toss in a good pinch of flaky salt when adding the cream. To save them for later, after they've cooled, wrap the tarts in foil and freeze. When you want to eat them, let them warm up on the counter or heat them briefly in a low oven until they're crisp again.

These mini tarts bring happiness to every gathering and freeze well for later enjoyment. Make them for your loved ones and create sweet memories that last way after the last bite.

Common Questions About This Recipe

→ How do you toast walnuts for the tarts?

Put the walnuts in the oven at 180°C for a few minutes to bring out their flavor, but keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

→ Can I swap out the hazelnut powder in the dough?

Sure, almond powder works great too and will give your tarts a different but equally yummy taste.

→ What kind of liquid cream should I use for the caramel?

Go for full-fat liquid cream to get a smoother caramel and the best texture for your filling.

→ What goes well with these walnut and caramel tarts?

Try them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a wonderful contrast.

→ How long can I keep these tarts after making them?

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or pop them in the fridge to keep them fresh longer.