Spiced Hazelnut Tart
A rich and cozy autumn tart made with buttery shortcrust pastry, toasted hazelnuts, golden syrup, warm cinnamon and ginger, and fresh orange zest. Finished with cute pastry bats, it makes a beautiful dessert for Halloween gatherings and autumn celebrations.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Small saucepan
- Rolling Pin
- 23cm (9-inch) loose-bottomed tart tin
- Baking sheet
- Bat-shaped cookie cutter
- Pastry brush or knife
- Fork
- Mixing spoon
- Whisk
- Measuring spoons
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry
- 250 g plain flour
- 125 g cold unsalted butter cubed
- 35 g icing sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2-3 tbsp ice-cold water
Spiced Hazelnut Filling
- 400 g golden syrup
- 100 g toasted hazelnuts finely chopped or ground
- 75 g fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 small orange
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 tbsp double cream
Instructions
- Add the flour and cold cubed butter to a large bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the icing sugar. Add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of ice-cold water. Mix with a knife until the dough starts to come together.
- Add the remaining water if needed, then gently bring the dough together and shape it into a disc.
- Wrap the pastry and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll out two-thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface until about the thickness of a coin.
- Use the pastry to line a 23cm (9-inch) loose-bottomed tart tin. Trim the edges and prick the base with a fork.
- Refrigerate the pastry case for 15 minutes.
- Roll out the remaining pastry and cut out 8-10 small bat shapes. Place them on a baking sheet and refrigerate until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan / Gas Mark 5).
- Gently warm the golden syrup in a saucepan over low heat until it becomes runny. Do not boil.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the toasted hazelnuts, breadcrumbs, ginger, cinnamon, and orange zest.
- Let the mixture cool slightly for about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the beaten egg and double cream together, then stir into the warm hazelnut mixture.
- Pour the filling into the chilled pastry case and spread it evenly.
- Arrange the pastry bats on top in a circular pattern, pointing toward the center.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is set with a slight wobble in the center.
- Remove from the oven and allow the tart to cool completely in the tin before releasing and slicing.
Notes
Nutritional Information per serving:
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 67g
- Protein: 7g
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Sugar: 39g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sodium: 180mg
