Gateaux Aux Noix

I’ll get to the story later, but people are asking for the recipe so here it is:

Gateaux Aux Noix

Ingredients

Sable Tart Base (Dominique Ansel’s recipe)

• 185 grams / 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 85 grams / 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 50 grams / 5 1/4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 gram / 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3 grams / 1/2 Tahitian vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
• 130 grams / 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature (1 1/4 sticks)
• 50 grams / 1 large egg

Filling

• 2 cups mixed nuts of choice, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 stick or 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 vanilla pod (split, contents scraped)
• 2 tbsp cream
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips and or sea salt flakes (optional)

Method

1. Blind bake the sable base in a tart pan (follow instructions here: https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2020/03/11/my-go-to-vanilla-sable-tart-shell)
2. Once the tart shell is baked and is cooling, make the filling by combining the light brown sugar, honey, butter, white sugar and vanilla pod’s contents in a saucepan on medium to low heat. 
3. Stir gently to let the butter melt and incorporate the ingredients and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn; it should start to boil between 8-12 mins.
4. Give it a minute or so to boil, then remove from the heat and add cream; stir to incorporate. Stir in chopped nuts.
5. Gently spoon the nut mix into the cooled tart shell. Bake at 350F or 180C for 22-25 mins (the tops will bubble) then remove from the oven. Top with chocolate chips and a sprinle of sea salt, if you like.