The spring of 2013 saw us down in Charleston, S.C., a stunning city, rich with history both sad and ecstatic, in a region that offers a tremendous bounty of fresh ingredients and regional flavors. We had the vague idea of cooking a holiday feast to celebrate the season — one that was grand and nondenominational — that would help banish memories of winter. These little pecan tarts helped a great deal. They’re ideal for dinner parties, and reward the use of fresh Southern pecans.
Ingredients
- 2 cups shelled pecans or walnuts
- 5 eggs
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- Pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
292 calories; 20 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 22 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 92 milligrams cholesterol; 57 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
About 12 servings
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 375. Toast the pecans on a baking sheet in the oven for about 8 minutes. Cool the pecans; coarsely chop half of them and leave the other half intact.
- Beat the eggs with a mixer until they are foamy. Beat in the sugars, salt and butter. Warm this mixture in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is hot to the touch; do not boil. Stir in the vanilla extract and the pecans.
- Spoon the mixture into a greased or nonstick 12-cup muffin tin; bake 20 minutes, until the mixture shakes like Jell-O but is still quite moist. Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.
About 1 1/2 hours
Dining and Cooking