Watch Cooking Channel
  • >
  • Recipes
  • >
  • The Nutcracker "Sweet"

The Nutcracker "Sweet"

In Two Parts: A slice of caramel nut pie with a "cup of joe"

Recipe courtesy Elizabeth Goel and Suyai Steinhauer
TOTAL TIME: 2 hr 30 min
Prep: 1 hr 30 min
Inactive Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min
YIELD: 16 pie slices and 100 bonbons
LEVEL: Difficult

ingredients

CARAMEL NUT PIES:
  • Pate sucree, recipe follows
  • About 4 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon glucose
  • 75 ml heavy cream
  • 75 ml milk
  • Pinch salt
  • About 4 1/2 ounces walnuts, chopped
  • About 7 ounces grams creme d'amandes, recipe follows
  • Chocolate Espresso Bonbons (aka "cup of joe")
ESPRESSO GANACHE BONBON FILLING:
  • Pinch salt
  • About 1 1/2 ounces butter, softened, en pomade
  • Mascarpone Cream "Froth", recipe follows
  • Cocoa, for garnish
PATE SUCREE:
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
MASCARPONE CREAM "FROTH":
CREME D'AMANDES:
  • About 9 ounces butter
  • About 18 ounces almond paste (50 percent almond 50 percent sugar)
  • 3 eggs
recipe tools

    • COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT

        

    Sign in

    All fields are required.

    E-mail Address:

    Password:

    Remember me on this computer

    Signing in

    Please enter your email address and we will send your password

    E-mail Address

    Your password has been sent and should arrive in your mailbox very soon.

    Not a member?

    Sign up for My Cooking Channel to share photos, show off your style, and connect to an enthusiastic and helpful community.

    It's free and easy.

  • Print Recipe

Directions

For the caramel nut pies:
Roll dough to 1/4-inch and fit into 4 small flan rings and chill. Combine sugar with enough water to cover in saucepan and place over high heat. Cook sugar to caramel stage (a maple syrup color). Carefully add glucose, cream, milk, salt and walnuts to caramel mixture. Cook the mixture, while stirring, until it is thick like pancake batter. Let the mixture cool.

Spread the cooled mixture into the bottom of chilled tartlet shells. Pipe or spread creme d'amandes over the caramel.

Bake tarts in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until evenly browned on top. Allow tarts to cool, cut into 4-inch slices and finish with sweetened whipped cream before service.

For the Chocolate Espresso Bonbons:
Put the chocolate into a work bowl. Dry roast the espresso beans in a saute pan over a medium flame until a strong coffee aroma is present. Coarsely crush the beans on a cutting board with the bottom of a pan. Make an infusion with the hot espresso beans and cream. Allow the mixture to steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain the cream into a clean pan. Bring the infused cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Gently stir the ganache until the chocolate is incorporated. Let cool slightly. Stir in the coffee liqueur, salt and softened butter. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

Line coffee cup bonbon molds with tempered chocolate, tapping to make sure molds are lined and have no air bubbles. Once chocolate is set, fill molds with espresso ganache leaving room to seal molds. Seal molds with tempered chocolate, allow to set and remove from molds. Finish bonbon cups with a swirl of mascarpone cream "froth" and dust with cocoa.

A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

In a mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and almond paste until light and fluffy and smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, incorporating fully. Add pastry cream powder or cornstarch and mix to combine. Add rum and brandy.
Sift flour and salt together and set aside. Place the butter in a mixer and beat until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating until just incorporated. Add flour mixture all at once until it forms a ball. Fatten dough into a disk and chill.

COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT

    

Sign in

All fields are required.

E-mail Address:

Password:

Remember me on this computer

Signing in

Please enter your email address and we will send your password

E-mail Address

Your password has been sent and should arrive in your mailbox very soon.

Not a member?

Sign up for My Cooking Channel to share photos, show off your style, and connect to an enthusiastic and helpful community.

It's free and easy.

Review This Recipe

You must be logged in to review this recipe.

or Sign Up to Review

Advertisement

On TV

*ALL TIMES EASTERN
ON AIR
NOW
TONIGHT
10:00
PM

what's hot

Tripping Out with Alie & Georgia
Tripping Out with Alie & Georgia Host: Alie Ward & Georgia Hardstark

Get Cooking Channel on your TV.

Learn How