Macadamia and Honey Tart

[achookwoman]

This Tart is for special occasions. However it is very easy to make, and can be made the day before required. Although the nuts are expensive, it does cut into 10 to 12 serves. It costs about $1.50 a serve.

8 sheets of Filo pastry
Rice Bran oil spray or butter(80g)

150g butter, cut into cubes
100mls. honey
40g. sugar
60g. cream

3 Tablespoons of Mandarine rind

250g. unsalted, raw Macadamia nuts
200g. slivered almonds


Set oven to 160c. ff
Prepare a 23cm. fluted flan tin, with a removable base, by spraying with oil .
Line the tin with Filo, spraying between every second sheet.
Trim edges of Filo with scissors.
Place rind of 2 mandarines into bowl and zap for 3 sec. on speed 7. set aside and wash bowl.

Into TMX bowl place, butter,sugar, honey and cream. Heat and simmer for 3 mins. by setting 8 mins., Varoma, speed 1.
Add 3 Tablespoons of the grated mandarine rind and cook for 1 min.Varoma, speed 1.
Add nuts and fold through, reverse, 1 min.

Tip nut mixture into prepared flan tin, and smooth out the nuts.
Cook for 25 mins or until the top is a nice caramel colour.

I place a baking tray on the oven floor as some syrup may run over.
During the last 10 - 15 mins of cooking the mixture will bubble. This is O.K.

Serve as is or with thick cream and a strawberry.

Store in an air tight tin in fridge. Serve at room temp.

While the Tart is still warm, remove the fluted ring, but leave the base in place.

members' comments
riv mum - Made this at a customer workshop and everyone LOVED it!!!!! Everyone said they would be making it again.

containergirl - Made this yesterday, Chookie.  It is sooooo divine. 

I made a pastry base as I didn't have filo and couldn't be bothered with the stupormarket.  I used all macadamias instead of almonds and used yoghurt instead of cream as I didn't have any.  I used a bit of orange zest instead of the mandarin.  I didn't use too much as I thought the taste might be a bit strong for the small people in the house...turned out they didn't like the macadamias anyhow - they got in the way of the pure bliss of the butter and honey.

JD - Thanks for this one Chookie, it is scrumptious.  Only used 100g slivered almonds and decided to go rectangular for ease of cutting smaller pieces.

[CreamPuff63]

another great one of yours to try  how many mandarins do you need for 3 tablespoons of rind?

Place rind of 2 mandarines into bowl and zap for 3 sec. on speed 7. set aside and wash bowl.

Into TMX bowl place, butter,sugar, honey and cream. Heat and simmer for 3 mins. by setting 8 mins., Varoma, speed 1.
Add 3 Tablespoons of the grated mandarine rind and cook for 1 min.Varoma, speed 1.

or is the rind of 2 mandarins additional to the 3 tbsps?

[achookwoman]

The 2 mandarines make about about 5/6 Tablespoons of rind.  I saved the excess to use in other dishes.  In fact I am making Florentines so will use some in these.   It will depend on the size of the mandarines. 

[judydawn]

Chookie that looks scrumptious.  How difficult is it getting the rind off a mandarin - those loose skinned ones would be difficult wouldn't they?  Would using a zester be easier?

[achookwoman]

The rinds just slip off JD.   I am going to dry the left over grated rind,   some Chinese dishes have a little in them.  You just drop the whole skin in the TMX.  I used to zest it and it was very difficult.

[JulieO]

Looks wonderful chookie! 

[achookwoman]

Thanks JulioO,  there is a close up photo on my Blog.

[Thermomixer]

Yum, this sounds like lots of those rich Greek/Middle Eastern pastries.  Think I would get about 16 serves out of that 

[riv_mum]

Made this at a customer workshop and everyone LOVED it!!!!! Everyone said they would be making it again.

[cookie1]

Chookie what are you doing to my hips This is really my sort of food.

[achookwoman]

This tart is so easy and so nice,  glad you like it riv-mum and cookie.   It also keeps in a sealed tin in fridge for a few days.

[containergirl]

This looks divine.  Macadamias are one of the three nuts my daughter doesn't react to. 

I have been buying macadamias from a company called Nambucca Macnuts.  They have kilo packs of what they call 'pieces' which are $14.50.   I buy a few kilos at a time and even with postage from there to FNQ it is heaps cheaper than else where and they are fresh and divine. 

[achookwoman]

Thanks for that info. on the Macadamia nuts.  That is really cheap.  The pieces would be perfest in this tart.  I think that the almonds are there so that it is not so expensive.  You could make it with all Macas.

[containergirl]

They are so cheap and delicious chookwoman.  I make macadamia everything since I have been buying them and as you said the pieces are fine for most things that you use when cooking.  They also sell cold pressed oil which I think is 7.50 a litre.  I use a lot of that because egg free baking recipes all seem to use oil and it performs a treat.

I also use them for chocolate nut milk, macadamia butter, 'pastry' bases, nut cheese, grawnola, pesto....and so the list goes on.  I even have a friend who makes macadamia yoghurt (dairy free, just using kefir and the macadamias).

On a chookish note...we have just had 5 new baby chicks hatch.  We had a yard full of kids who got to listen through the egg shell and watch as the last one pecked through the shell.....such a magic moment.

[achookwoman]

container girl,  a real thrill for the children to see the chickens hatch,  and they learn to be gentle when they handle them.  Thanks for the info. on the Macadamia nuts.