Hazelnut-Pecan Tarts with Browned Butter Pastry

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare Browned Butter Pastry. On a lightly floured surface roll pastry until slightly less than 1/8 inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut out pastry to make 12 circles total, rerolling scraps as necessary. Gently press dough circles onto the bottoms and up the sides of 12 ungreased 2-1/2-inch muffin cups. Bake for 10 minutes (pastry will shrink slightly as it bakes). Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

2. Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium bowl beat egg, egg yolk, brown sugar, melted butter, and bourbon with a fork until combined. Stir in pecans and hazelnuts. Spoon filling evenly into hot pastry-lined muffin cups.

3. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes more or until filling is set. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully remove tarts from muffin cups; cool on wire rack about 20 minutes to serve warm, or cool tarts completely. If desired, serve tarts with ice cream and drizzle with caramel topping.

Browned Butter Pastry

1. In a small saucepan melt butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until butter turns the color of light brown sugar. Transfer browned butter to a small bowl; cover and chill about 45 minutes or until solid. Meanwhile, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening and the chilled browned butter until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over part of the flour mixture; toss with a fork. Push moistened pastry to side of bowl. Repeat moistening flour mixture, using 1 tablespoon water at a time, until flour mixture is moistened. Form pastry into a ball.

Chocolate-Hazelnut-Pecan Tarts with Browned Butter Pastry:

Prepare as directed, except reduce pecans to 1/4 cup and add 2 ounces chopped dark chocolate with the nuts. Nutrition analysis: 257 calories, 3 g protein, 26 g carb. 15 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 54 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 5% Vitamin A, 0% Vitamin C, 109 mg sodium, 2% calcium, 8% iron.

*Toasting Nuts:

To toast hazelnuts, preheat oven to 350°F. Spread nuts in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown, watching carefully and stirring once or twice. Remove the skins from the hazelnuts by placing the warm nuts on a kitchen towel and rubbing the nuts until the skins come loose.