@PeterDM wrote:
My grandmother used to make delicious tarts, and I foolishly never got the recipe from her before she passed. I'm hoping if I describe it here, someone may either have the recipe or knows of a recipe online. Any help would be greatly appreciated. She used to make a pie crust, and press pieces of the crust into the wells of mini cupcake tins, bake them, then fill the crusts with a bit of a fruit jam or jelly and then top the jam or jelly with a mixture of crushed walnuts and sugar. That mixture was sort of caramelized. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Thank you!
@PeterDM
The origin of this sounds quite British in every way. They would probably use Black/English Walnuts, which have a "bite" to them
Though I don't have a recipe, I would not use a regular pie crust recipe, but rather a German murtbeig crust, which has a bit of sugar and an egg yolk added to it and thus is also a bit crispy when you bite into it, instead of being soft.
Roll out the dough to 1/4". Use a glass or cookie cutter that will allow sufficient dough to fit down into the cup. Grease each cup with Crisco or your favorite fat. Get your fingers down in there and press the dough against all surfaces. Yes, you'll have folds, but just press those like the other surfaces. If you have dough sticking up above the surface of the pan, get a nice sharp paring knife and gently trim these edges off. Place some hard, uncooked beans in each cup about halfway up and bake the cups at 350 on the middle shelf for 12 minutes. Take them out and let them cool to room temp, then gently tip the pan, removing the tart cups and letting the beans fall as they may.
If you want to go British authentic, go to the market and choose a jar of raspberry jam WITH seeds. If no seeds, the jam will not "set" properly. I'd fill the cups only half full.
Turn the oven own to 325.
Now make your topping. If your mother used English walnuts, the ones with a bite, you'll want to make sure you purchase that kind versus the regular type we use all the time here in he U.S. Since you said the mixture was caramelized, it sounds as though your mother may have started the process in a saute pan, then transferred some of the mixture to each tart. Here is where you're going to have to experiment a bit, unless you receive a recipe. If not, I'd get out the food processor and dump in 2 cups of walnuts plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Process the walnuts and sugar until the walnuts are the size you recall them being when your mother made the tarts. Place a medium saute or fry pan on the stove under medium heat and heat pan before proceeding. Dump in the walnut/sugar mixture. Continuously stir until sugar melts, then add a pat of butter (about 1 Tbs). Continue to stir until the mixturejust starts to begin to look golden in color. If, on your stove the medium heat setting is too high, turn it down or the sugar may burn. When at the golden stage, turn the heat down really low and immediately bring the small muffin tin over to the range. Working with two teaspoons, the kind you would set at your table, scoop up one teaspoon-full of walnut mixture and place on top of raspberry in the tart using the 2nd spoon. Working quickly, repeat until all cups have been completed. Place in oven on middle rack.
Keep on eye on the tarts. Remove them when they look like they did when your dear Mother made them.
***I'm making educated guesses here based on baking experience and hope that if you do try this, it turns out to be decent.
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