Caramel Pecan Tarts

This last summer we went on an incredible sailing trip up in the San Juan Islands. Half way through the trip we harbored in Victoria, and while we were there we had a luxurious high tea at the Empress Hotel. Now that several months have gone by we thought it would be a great idea to get our fellow sailors together for high tea and a viewing of our San Juan photos.

For the tea Peter made these incredible tarts. They were so good I thought you all might enjoy them. In fact, I think I’ll be swapping these in the place of pecan pie at this year’s Thanksgiving.

Caramel Pecan Tartlets

Pastry
2 yolks
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, cold

Caramel
1 cup sugar
⅓ cup water
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon vanilla

Toasted whole pecans

For the pastry, whisk together yolks, cream and vanilla and set aside. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt on low speed in a Kitchen Aid with a paddle attachment. When the mixture becomes sandy, add the wet ingredients. Mix just until the dough comes together. Chill.

Roll the cold dough out and cut circles to fit pastry tins. Once the tins are lined with dough place them on a sheet pan and place them in the freezer to chill. Pre-heat the oven to 350. When you are ready bake the tart shells at 350 for 5-7 minutes or until the edges just start to brown.

Caramel can be kind of tricky. Luckily all of the ingredients are cheap, so give it a try and if it doesn’t turn out, do it again. I like to get my caramel as dark as I can without it tasting burnt. It can take a couple of tries to get it just right, so do be scared and go for it.

Before you get started get all of your equipment and ingredients in place. Once you’ve started cooking the sugar you don’t have time to go looking for things. Over medium high heat combine the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. The sugar will melt and begin to boil. After a few minutes the boiling sugar will start to turn a light amber color. You want to continue cooking the sugar until the sugar turns a medium-to –dark amber color and you smell little whiffs of caramel smoke. If you go too far the caramel will taste burnt. When the sugar is a medium-to-dark amber add the cream. Don’t be scared, but it will boil up violently. Have no fear; it will stop after a couple of seconds. Remove the caramel from the heat, stir in the butter and vanilla.

Toast the pecans at 350 until fragrant and beginning to brown.

To assemble, unmold the tart shells. Spoon one tablespoon of caramel and top with toasted pecans. Enjoy…

Roasted Chanterelle Pizza with Sausage and Parmesan Cream

My friend Dennis texted me yesterday and asked if I wanted any of the chanterelles that he and his partner John picked a the coast. What was I going to say but, "Of Course!"

I emailed Keith and asked him to come over today and cook them. As we traded emails with ideas, nearly instantaneously we emailed each other that we wanted to make a pizza with them. "White sauce and sausage," he said. "Broccoli and cream," I pleaded. This is what came of it:

2 lbs. chanterelles or other wild mushrooms

1 red onion

1 bunch broccoli

1 lb. hot Italian sausage

grated parmesano reggiano

cream

crushed red pepper

coarse salt

2 1lb pizza doughs, homemade our bought but not in a can!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Clean and tear mushrooms into medium pieces. Cut broccoli crowns into bite -sized pieces. Cut onion into 1/4 inch slices. Coat in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until just browning and no longer steaming, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a skillet, breaking into 1/2 inch pieces. Set vegetables and sausage aside.

Increase oven temperature to 550 degrees and put a pizza stone on the bottom third of oven. Roll out dough and put on a pizza peel coated with corn meal. Sprinkle a small coating of parmesano on dough. Arrange half of the toppings on pizza and drizzle pizza with cream. Sprinkle a small handful of parmesano on top and season with salt and crushed red pepper.

Transfer the pizza from the peel to the pizza stone and bake 10 to 12 or until the crust is crispy. Remove to a cutting board and slice after the pizza rests for a couple minutes.

Special thanks to John and Dennis for the generous gift of seasonal mushrooms!