On January 14th, we held the first of our new Make-& Take cooking classes. The four classes in this series are Saturday afternoon workshops in which we make several recipe variations on one theme. Our first Make-& Take class was all about pies and we made three types of pie pastry with three different fillings: a standard butter and lard pie pastry (for pork & veal Tourtière); a sweet all butter pastry (for the Nut Tart) and a cornmeal galette dough (for Blackberry & Apple Galette.)

Although the uses and flavours of the three types of pastry are all quite different, the basic principles for making perfect pastry are the same for each. First, use cold ingredients (especially fats and water), then work the fat into the flour quickly and gently with your fingertips (not pressing and kneading with your palms) until pea-sized with some larger chunks of fat remaining. And, finally roll out chilled pastry on a well-floured surface and keep rotating the pastry as you roll it so it doesn’t stick and tear.

I think everyone was surprised how easy pie making is once you get the hang of making pastry. Each student took home their own Galette and Tourtière, and the favourite recipe of the day – a gooey nut tart with sweet all butter pastry – was sampled at the class. If this sounds like a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon at the market, check out our event schedule. FYI, Make-& Take Soups on January 28th is sold out, but there is still room in both Make-& Take Truffles on February 11th and Casseroles on February 18th. Enjoy!

NUT TART
Makes 8 to 12 servings
*Removable bottom tart pans are best for this type of pie because it makes them easy to pop-out and serve, and gives them a professional looking fluted edge. You can find several styles at the cooking accessories store Placeswares in the middle of the market.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup hazelnuts
3 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp Bourbon, Rye or rum
Pinch salt
1/3 cup walnut halves
1/3 cup pecan halves

Sweet Pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch salt
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp whipping (35%) cream

METHOD:
Toast hazelnuts on baking sheet in 350°F oven until skins darken and flake off easily, about 8 minutes. Rub with towel to remove most of the skins. Set aside.

Sweet Pastry: Combine flour, sugar and salt in large bowl or food processor. Rub in butter with fingertips (or pulse with processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together egg yolks and cream; mix or pulse into flour mixture to make slightly sticky dough when pressed. Transfer to counter. Shape into ball; flatten into disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Between floured parchment paper, roll out pastry 2-inches larger than tart pan (a 9-inch round or 7×11-inch rectangular tart pan with removable bottom), pressing to edge of pan. Trim off excess pastry.

With fork, prick bottom all over; refrigerate for 20 minutes. Line with foil; fill with pie weights. Place on baking sheet and bake in bottom third of 400°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove weights and foil; bake for 4 minutes longer.

Arrange hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans over crust. In bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, vinegar, bourbon and salt; pour over nuts. Bake in center of 375°F oven until center of filling jiggles slightly and edge is browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on rack.

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