Butterscotch Tart

 

 

 

 

I try to avoid the magazines at the checkout stand…I say Bravo to you, Bruce Jenner, but I don’t want to know what enquiring minds want to know. Last month’s Perfect Pies magazine was tempting me while Bob, my favorite cashier at the King Sooper’s, scanned my items and asked me if I checked my cackleberries (eggs).  I picked it up and the trigger was pulled as soon as I saw this Butterscotch Tart.  There were several recipes that caught my eye but I made this tart first.

I changed a few things – like making a homemade pudding and sauce without morsels.  I’m giving you the recipe as written and below the browned butter instructions  – links to the recipes that I used for the pudding and sauce.  The pecan tart shell was amazing.  Next time I’ll double that portion of the recipe to make the shell a little thicker and then make a second smaller shell.

Butterscotch Tart – adapted from Perfect Pies

Pecan Tart Shell

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup finely ground pecans

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon of browned butter, softened (I brown a stick of butter at a time to use for different recipes – see below).

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream

1. Place the flour, pecans, confectioners sugar and salt in a food processor bowl.  Pulse until blended.  Add softened butters, egg yolk and cream, pulsing until mixture comes together.  Shape into a disk and refrigerate for two hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a twelve inch circle, approximately 1/4 inch thick.  Press dough into bottom and up sides of the tart pan with a removable bottom.  Place a piece of parchment in the tart shell, fill tart with pie weights (or dried beans).  Bake until golden brown about 30 minutes.    Let cool for 30 minutes.

(Note this was somewhat difficult to work with – but pushing the dough into the tart shell worked out well so don’t fret over rolling it out and making it perfect.)

Butterscotch Sauce  (from magazine) – link below to homemade version

3/4 cup of butterscotch morsels

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon of light corn syrup

In a small saucepan, combine the ingredients and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes whisking constantly. Refrigerate leftover sauce for up to one week.

Filling (from magazine) – link below to homemade version

2 (3.4 oz) boxes of butterscotch instant pudding

2 3/4 cups of cold half-and-half

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Combine the filling ingredients in a large bowl and beat until softly set.

To assemble:

Spread 1/2 cup of the butterscotch sauce in the bottom of the cooled pecan tart shell.  Refrigerate.

Make the filling.

Pour filling into tart shell which has the small layer of butterscotch sauce which has set up.  Smooth out top. Refrigerate until set about 2 hours.  Carefully remove tart from pan.  Drizzle with butterscotch sauce, and garnish with chocolate shavings.

Store, covered, in fridge for up to three days.

To brown butter:  Melt butter in stainless steel skillet over medium heat.  Cook, stirring constantly until butter becomes honey colored and has a nutty aroma.  Remove from heat.  Pour through a fine mesh strainer.  Refrigerate until slightly set or until use.  I make a stick at a time or more.  You can use browned butter in so many recipes.

I used this butterscotch pudding recipe for the filling and this sauce recipe both from Smitten Kitchen.

This was an excellent tart.  I will be experimenting with different custards – vanilla, coconut and others.