We use cookies and similar technologies to improve user experience, and analyse activities and performance. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. 
Recipe Detail Page
Pine Nut Tarts
Early Summer 2016
This is a unique take on Lucy Waverman’s Butter Pecan Tarts that appeared in our Summer 1999 issue. The Pine-Shoot Honey enhances the flavour of the pine nuts and makes these tarts truly delicious.
Makes eight 4½-inch (11-cm) tarts
Pastry of your choice (enough for a double crust pie)
FILLING
1 cup (250 mL) brown sugar, packed
¼ cup (60 mL) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (125 mL) Pine-Shoot Honey (recipe follows)
2 large eggs, beaten
½ tsp (2 mL) vanilla essence
½ tsp (2 mL) kosher salt
1½ cups (375 mL) pine nuts
1 Cut pastry into 8 equal portions and, working with one piece at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. Press each piece of pastry into a 4½-inch (11-cm) fluted tart tin with removable bottom, trimming excess pastry. Chill for 30 minutes or until ready to bake.
2 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
3 Whisk sugar, butter, Pine-Shoot Honey, eggs, vanilla and salt together until uniform. Stir in pine nuts. Divide filling equally between prepared pie shells (each should be about three-quarters full).
4 Place filled tart tins on a metal baking sheet and bake for 24 to 28 minutes or until filling is set and pastry is golden.
Makes eight 4½-inch (11-cm) tarts
PINE-SHOOT HONEY
BY MICHAEL STADTLÄNDER
Infusing honey is a great way of integrating new flavours into a recipe. The shoots are the new growth found on the white pine tree in late May and early June. If you can’t get pine shoots, you can use fresh pine needles to get a similar flavour (recipe follows).
4 cups (1 L) white pine shoots
1½ cups (375 mL) wildflower honey
1 Take a large measuring cup and harvest 4 cups (1 L) of pine shoots. In the same cup, cover the shoots with water and and let stand at room temperature overnight. Pour the water and pine shoots into a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and again let stand overnight. In a sieve lined with cheesecloth, strain this tea into a clean pot.
2 Simmer to reduce the tea to about a scant ½ cup (125 mL). Add the honey and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to honey consistency. Let cool slightly and pour into a sterilized jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Makes 1½ cups (375 mL) pine honey
PINE-NEEDLE HONEY
BY ESHUN MOTT
If pine shoots are out of season, here’s a similarly flavoured honey that instead uses fresh pine needles—which are much easier to find. This recipe produces an equally suitable ingredient for the Pine-Nut Tarts (recipe follows).
1/3 cup (80 mL) fresh unsprayed pine needles (white pine, white cedar, Balsam fir or white spruce)
1½ cups (375 mL) water
½ cup (125 mL) wildflower honey
1 Add pine needles to water and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
2 Strain to remove needles, return liquid to pot, and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes watching carefully, until reduced to just less than 1 tbsp (15 mL) of very concentrated flavoured red liquid.
3 Immediately add wildflower honey, remove from heat, and stir until well incorporated.
Makes ½ cup (125 mL) pine honey; amount needed to make the Pine Nut Tarts
