Tart exudes elegance without all the fuss

This elegant nut tart is surprisingly easy to prepare, thanks to the very simple filling. For the filling, we used a pecan pie base but swapped in walnuts, reduced the amount of sugar, and added a hefty amount of vanilla as well as a hit of bourbon (or rum).

The liquor cuts through the sweetness and intensifies the flavor of the nuts. We found that it’s important to add the filling to a warm pie crust as this helps keep the crust from getting soggy. Pecans can be substituted for the walnuts if desired.

cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1. Roll dough Start to finish: tablespoon heavy cream

cups (6 ounces) all-purpose flour

tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

with removable bottom, letting excess dough hang over the edge. Lift dough, and gently press it into corners and fluted sides of pan. Run rolling pin over top of pan to remove excess dough. Wrap loosely in plastic, place on a large plate and freeze until dough is fully chilled and firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Adjust oven rack 1. Whisk egg yolk, cream and vanilla together in bowl. Process flour, sugar and salt together in a food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter butter over top, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15 pulses. With machine running, add egg mixture, and continue to process until dough just comes together around processor blade, about 12 seconds. 3. Meanwhile, whisk sugar, crisp, 2. Turn dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, and flatten into 6-inch disk. Wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Before rolling dough out, let it sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving:

DANIEL J. VAN ACKERE/AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN 1 1 1 1 8 cups walnuts, chopped coarse While regular pie crust is tender and flaky, classic tart crust should be fine textured, buttery rich, and crumbly — it is often described as being shortbread-like. Makes enough for one 9-inch tart.