Nutty about Nut pies

[CatPoet]

I have alot of nuts and almonds left from Christmas and I want to do a lovely pie with them, how ever I cant find a recipe that makes me go  WOW.

 

I need something with  less sugar then nuts,  I just dont want  a ton of sugar and a few nuts, but I am open for toffee and caramel flavours.

 

Can you please help me?

 

And as always no citrus, no coffee and no rose water/ oil.

[Darienne]

No recipes here, I'm sorry to say, but I am now also awaiting the brilliant ideas to pour in.  For my DH, there cannot be too many nuts in cakes, muffins, cookies, ice cream, etc, etc, and a good pie recipe will be much appreciated. :wub:

[Tri2Cook]

The standard pecan pie recipe works well with any nuts I've tried replacing the pecans with. Maybe sweeter than you have in mind but you can add as many nuts as you want. I like to up the salt in that pie compared to what most recipes call for.

[CatPoet]

So what is a standard pecan pie??

[Lisa Shock]

I have made this pie for clients fairly successfully, changes I made were adding 50% more nuts and changing the corn syrup to dark corn syrup. Once I did half regular corn syrup, half very dark molasses. Anyway, making the brown butter is the key step here, do not skip it.

[CatPoet]

Sounds yummy.

Is there any  nuts pies or tarts that doesnt have nuts in caramel?

[andiesenji]

I have a recipe for an almond/apricot tart made with dried apricots that is based on an eggy custard.  I think it is still on a recipe card so will have to hunt for it.

 

As I recall the crust is vanilla wafers ground with almonds but I'm just guessing. 

No caramel but there is some apricot jam...

[Lisa Shock]

Sounds yummy.

Is there any  nuts pies or tarts that doesnt have nuts in caramel?

 

There are a bunch of traditional French dessert pies/cakes based on almonds: pithiviers, almond tarts, apple-almond tart, etc.

[CatPoet]

Had forgotten about pithiviers, I have a recipe on  the same idea but with hazel nuts somewhere   and also  bake well tart.

How could I forget those!

 

Oh and now for the walnuts, what do do with 3 pound of walnuts I have left?

[andiesenji]

Do you have any figs or dates? 

If so, you can make fruit and nut "confections" by grinding equal amounts of fruits and nuts together, kneading to fully combine and forming into little balls or sticks and coating with something to keep them from sticking together.  I use pulverized coconut but you can use powdered sugar, etc.

 

Or you can make a Torta di Noci -  I have a recipe, will see if I can find it.  It uses lots of walnuts and the other main ingredients are eggs and sugar.

 

A friend makes a walnut halva - Lebanese, I think, that uses a lot of walnuts - I don't have her recipe but will see if she will give it to me, or something similar.

[gulfporter]

This is one of those silly recipes that people always seem to like; when I serve it (It's my MIL's recipe), it's fun to have people guess the ingredients. 

 

3 egg whites

1 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

14 Ritz crackers

3/4 c walnuts

1 c cream, whipped to stiff

 

Beat egg whites with sugar and vanilla till stiff and glossy. 

Spray pie pan with PAM. 

Make crust by crushing Ritz crackers; lay them in pie pan.  Cover with walnut pieces.  Top with meringue, leaving a slight 'well' in the center.  Bake 325 for 30 min. 

Cool, then top with whipped cream and serve. 

[Darienne]

...still waiting for Andie's almond/apricot recipe... 

 

A wonderful combination, almonds and apricots, and I can make anything from dried apricots.  See fresh ones so seldom in our neck of the woods, even when in season.

[CatPoet]

Oh  Torta di Noci, havent had that since  oh god well dont know when. Gulios  used to make at Christmas with ginger and cinnamon instead of lemon. If you find it I would be happy.

Ritz cracker are expensive here, but I see if I can find them.

[Lisa Shock]

About those walnuts: baklava!

[andiesenji]

Found the recipe for the Apricot Almond Tart.

Apricot Almond Tart    
(This also works with other dried fruit and nut combinations - Peaches work with pecans or almonds.  
Plums or pluots with any nut. I have made one with pineapple and macadamias - apple jelly for glaze)

Just remembered I made one with dried cherries (the bing cherries from Trader Joe's) and hazelnuts...

Crust:

1 cup        Vanilla wafers                  (I also used some other cookies - the Italian amaretti at least twice.)
1 cup        Almonds - not blanched
1/4 cup        Sugar - granulated
1 stick        Butter - unsalted - cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Put all ingredients into food processor.
Pulse till it looks like coarse sand.
Press evenly into 10-inch tart pan (preferably one with removable bottom to make it easier to serve when done.
Bake for 8 minutes, set aside to cool.

Filling:

4         eggs
2        egg yolks
1/3 cup     sugar
1/4        cup flour
1/4  teaspoon    ground nutmeg

extra     TABLESPOON OF FLOUR  for apricots - to keep them from sticking together.  

2 cups         finely chopped dried apricots tossed with the tablespoon of flour
1 cup         sliced almonds - no need to use blanched

Glaze
1/2 cup     apricot jam, melted

Method:
Use a large mixing bowl.
Beat eggs and yolks together until smooth
Add sugar and beat to blend
Add flour and nutmeg and beat until completely blended.
Fold in the apricots and almonds.

Pour the filling carefully into the prepared crust, spreading to the edges gently so as to not break the crust.

Bake for  22 minutes

Remove from oven to cooling rack.  

Drizzle melted apricot jam over surface.  
Cool completely before removing tart rim - transfer on base to serving plate.
 

[andiesenji]

Oh  Torta di Noci, havent had that since  oh god well dont know when. Gulios  used to make at Christmas with ginger and cinnamon instead of lemon. If you find it I would be happy.

Ritz cracker are expensive here, but I see if I can find them.

I haven't been able to find the card with my recipe but phoned a friend who emailed me the link to this page which is virtually identical to the recipe I used to make and may have come from the same source .

Torta di Noci

[CatPoet]

Thanks!  That be Sunday's  dessert if I have eggs!

[Darienne]

Andie...that pie sounds heavenly.  I can't make it in Moab, but it will first on the list in Cavan when we return home. 

 

...could ask my Moab chums...none of whom 'bake' ...if anyone has a largish pie pan or even better, one with a removable bottom.   But really it's OK.  I have two Margarita pies to make this week and a Chinese feast to put on the next...so I don't lack for things to do. 

[Franci]

I have a very good recipe for walnut cake, la Grenobloise, that I learnt in cooking school. It has a lot of brown butter in it, some toasted brioche crumbled with the walnuts, really a good cake but rich. Let me know if you are interested I can PM to you.

Also these cookies with walnuts are so good http://forums.egullet.org/topic/147429-your-daily-sweets-what-are-you-making-and-baking-2014/page-2#entry1960521

You can also search for ENGADINER NUSS TORTE

[CatPoet]

Torta di Noci.

 

That was lovely, we have one some saved for tomorrow since it is a special day  for me tomorrow. I will say shelling  walnut and trying to make sure that the kid didnt eat them was  hard work.

[andiesenji]

Torta di Noci.

 

That was lovely, we have one some saved for tomorrow since it is a special day  for me tomorrow. I will say shelling  walnut and trying to make sure that the kid didnt eat them was  hard work.

[LizD518]

My family usually makes these date nut balls around Christmas:

 

1 Pound Pitted Dates, Finely Chopped*

1 Stick Butter (8oz)

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts

¼ tsp Salt

1 Egg, Beaten

3 Cups Rice Krispies Cereal (puffed rice cereal)

Additional Rice Krispies, Chopped Walnuts or Shredded Coconut to finish

 

Melt butter in a medium saucepan, add chopped dates, sugar & salt and stir to combine.  Cook on medium heat until sugar is melted and dates begin to break down.

Pull off heat and add beaten egg, be sure to mix it in and not let the egg curdle.

Put back on medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, just under a boil, as the ingredients form a more cohesive mass.  Cook approximately 5-10 minutes.  There is no exact time or texture to look for – just that the dates are broken down.

Pour mixture over Rice Krispies and mix in thoroughly.  Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

Form mixture into desired shape (it could be pressed into a 9x13” pan and cut, or just formed into balls) and roll pieces in topping of your choice. 

Can be refrigerated, but best when they are room temperature, or even warm.

*It is not necessary to use super-fresh dates, which are quite a bit more expensive.  Look for the packaged dates, which are sold, already pitted, near the dried fruits in the produce section.