Pecan Caramel Tartlets
·Make the pastry ahead
Prepare the tartlet pastry a day in advance so it has time to rest properly in the fridge. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and work into a smooth, non-sticky dough. Add a little extra flour if needed, or a splash of cold water if the dough seems too dry.
Fill the tartlet tins
Wrap the finished dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge. The next day, take it out and press it into your prepared tartlet tins. Bake in an oven preheated to 175°C for 10–15 minutes.
Keep an eye on the baking
Baking time will vary depending on the size of your tartlet tins. The pastry should turn golden but must not get too dark. Turn the tartlet cases out of the tins and leave to cool.
Make the caramel
Put 1 cup of sugar into a large non-stick pot. Really do use the biggest pot you have, so the sugar melts over a wide surface. Turn on the heat and let the sugar melt slowly – medium, slightly above medium heat is enough. Don't crank the burner up all the way.
Give it a stir
If the sugar seems to be darkening too quickly, turn the heat down. Once almost all the sugar has melted and starts to darken, stir the caramel with a wooden spoon. There's nothing to worry about.
Add the remaining sugar
Add the second cup of sugar. Follow the same process, just keep an even closer eye on the caramel now. Use up the third cup of sugar the same way. Once the caramel has a beautiful golden colour, take the pot off the heat.
Stir in the butter and cream
Don't worry if you see a few small lumps in the caramel. Off the heat, add the butter to the caramel – it will sizzle, so be careful! Stir it in, then mix in the cream. Return the pot to the stove and cook together over low heat until any lumps have dissolved. Leave to cool.
Fill with nuts and decorate
Chop some of the pecans, keeping the rest whole for decorating the tartlets. Add the chopped pecans to the caramel. Spoon the caramel into the pastry cases and top each one with a whole pecan for decoration. Leave in a cool place to set.