Almond Spice Cookie Tarts

Almond Spice Cookie Tarts

We featured a summer fruit version of these cookie tarts a couple of months ago and I wondered about making a fall version too that might be good for the holidays. With Thanksgiving on the horizon here in Canada I thought maybe individual spiced nut tarts would be a good idea for dessert and these turned out spectacularly. Choose your own level of spices or switch them up to suit your own taste; a pinch of cloves or a little powdered ginger would also be good choices and a little chopped orange zest could add another flavor dimension. These are terrific served cold but try them warm with a scoop of ice cream for a really heavenly dessert.

Makes about a dozen large tarts.

Cookie Dough Crust

Sift together:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream together until light and fluffy:

1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar

Add and beat well:

2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Fold in the dry ingredients until crumbly, then press the dough into a ball , wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a half hour. Press the cookie dough into 3 or 4 inch tart pans about a 1/4 inch thick on the bottom and sides. Greased muffin pans will also work but you will have to decrease the baking time.

Filling:
2 cups finely chopped almonds

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 beaten eggs

 

Mix together until thoroughly blended. Add the filling to the tarts. 

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F until evenly dark golden brown at the edges. You want some good dark color to the cookie crust to make sure they are fully baked. Cool on a wire rack to almost room temperature before removing from the pans to cool completely.

Almond Spice Cookie Tarts

We featured a summer fruit version of these cookie tarts a couple of months ago and I wondered about making a fall version too that might be good for the holidays. With Thanksgiving on the horizon here in Canada I thought maybe individual spiced nut tarts would be a good idea for dessert and these turned out spectacularly. Choose your own level of spices or switch them up to suit your own taste; a pinch of cloves or a little powdered ginger would also be good choices and a little chopped orange zest could add another flavor dimension. These are terrific served cold but try them warm with a scoop of ice cream for a really heavenly dessert.

Makes about a dozen large tarts.

Cookie Dough Crust

Sift together:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream together until light and fluffy:

1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar

Add and beat well:

2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Fold in the dry ingredients until crumbly, then press the dough into a ball , wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a half hour. Press the cookie dough into 3 or 4 inch tart pans about a 1/4 inch thick on the bottom and sides. Greased muffin pans will also work but you will have to decrease the baking time.

Filling:
2 cups finely chopped almonds

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 beaten eggs

 

Mix together until thoroughly blended. Add the filling to the tarts. 

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F until evenly dark golden brown at the edges. You want some good dark color to the cookie crust to make sure they are fully baked. Cool on a wire rack to almost room temperature before removing from the pans to cool completely.