![\"Crostata](\"https:\/\/adribarrcrocetti.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/CrostataNoccioleCaramella-640x632-1900_661.jpg\" "\\"Crostata")
<\/a><\/p>\nDecadence in pastry, a tender hazelnut crust holds dark chewy caramel and toasted nuts. If you love caramel and hazelnuts, this is for you. Finished with a drizzle of bittersweet chocolate and accompanied with sweetened whipped cream, this is fine dining at home.<\/p>\n
This crust calls for ground hazelnuts. You can grind them yourself, either in a nut grinder or in the food processor fitted with the metal blade. One caveat, however, in the food processor it is easy to overprocess nuts and wind up with nut paste. If you do that, you have gone too far. Make some toast and tea, enjoy your nut paste, and begin again. To prevent overgrinding, place 1 tablespoon of sugar called out in the recipe in the workbowl of the processor along with the nuts, and pulse until ground finely. Works every time.<\/p>\n One of Bart’s biggest gripes about crostate, pies and tarts is soggy bottom crusts. Two techniques here contribute to a fully baked bottom crust. The first is to partially blind bake the shell. Blind baking simply means baking the pastry shell prior to filling it and giving it its final bake. For some recipes the shell is completely baked, and for others, as here, it is partially baked. The classic method calls for pleating a sheet of parchment paper to fit over the crust and filling it with pie weights (small pieces of metal), a pie chain (yes, just like it sounds) or dried beans. Press the weights against the sides of the pastry, and bake at 425 degrees 15 to 18 minutes to partially bake the shell.<\/p>\n I have found that sometimes the partially baked crust sticks to the parchment when I remove it, so I like to use non-stick foil with the non-stick side against the crust to solve this problem. Be sure to cut the parchment or foil long enough to allow you to use the ends as handles to lift the weights from the shell.<\/p>\n The second secret to banishing soggy bottom crusts is to bake crostate, tarts and pies on a preheated pizza stone set on a rack on the lower third of the oven. Yup. It really works.<\/p>\n Notes of caution; lift a tart pan with a removable bottom by the sides only. If you exert pressure on the bottom, even if the pastry is filled and baked, the bottom will lift up. Banish the kids and pets from the kitchen when you make this caramel filling. Kitchen accidents happen in the blink of an eye. The voice of experience speaks.<\/p>\n How to toast nuts:<\/em><\/p>\n Place nuts on rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant.<\/p>\n Place toasted nuts on lint free kitchen towel, and rub together to loosen as much skin as possible.<\/p>\n Place cooled nuts and raw cane sugar in workbowl of processor.<\/p>\n Pulse to grind.<\/p>\n Add remaining dry ingredients and pulse to combine.<\/p>\n Scatter butter over dry ingredients.<\/p>\n Pulse to combine butter.<\/p>\n With processor running, add beaten egg mixture.<\/p>\n Process until mixture clumps.<\/p>\n Turn out of processor and form into 2 disks.<\/p>\n Roll out pastry to fit 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom.<\/p>\n After chilling, fit non-stick foil or parchment paper into pan and fill with pie weights or beans and bake blind for approximately 18 minutes.<\/p>\n Place on rack to cool completely.<\/p>\n Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in medium sauce pan. In separate pan, melt butter and cream.<\/p>\n Bring to boil and cook until light golden.<\/p>\n Add melted butter and cream.<\/p>\n Combine well.<\/p>\n Add nuts and cook until caramel color.<\/p>\n Pour into cooled shell.<\/p>\n Bake on pizza stone in lower third of oven.<\/p>\n Cool on rack.<\/p>\n Decorate with melted chocolate.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
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