Best 7 Perfect Nut Crust Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

The quest for the perfect nut crust can be a daunting task, as there are a multitude of recipes and techniques to choose from. Whether you are a novice baker or an experienced chef, finding a reliable and delicious recipe that fits your needs can be challenging. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the world of nut crusts, offering insights into different types of nuts, the role of binders, and essential tips for achieving the perfect texture and taste.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

PECAN NUT CRUST



Pecan Nut Crust image

This crust is especially good as a base for Eggnog Pie with Rum, but can be used with almost any custard pie.

Provided by Julie Pastore

Categories     Desserts     Pies     100+ Pie Crust Recipes     Crumb Crusts

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 4

2 ½ cups ground pecans
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅓ cup white sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Steps:

  • Stir together ground nuts, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix in melted butter.
  • Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch, deep-dish style, pie pan. Chill the unbaked crust in the refrigerator for about 30 to 45 minutes.
  • Place pie crust on a cookie sheet, and position on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. WATCH it carefully, as nut crusts burn easily; they DON'T have to turn black to taste burnt! Cool completely before filling.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 263.9 calories, Carbohydrate 12 g, Cholesterol 15.3 mg, Fat 24.6 g, Fiber 2.5 g, Protein 2.5 g, SaturatedFat 5.3 g, Sodium 0.8 mg, Sugar 9.4 g

NUT CRUST



Nut Crust image

If you have a recipe that calls for a graham-cracker crust, and you don't have the ingredients to make one or just want to try something that's not only simpler but much tastier--try this. Straight from Joy of Cooking, I found this recipe when I made Million Dollar Pie because I didn't feel like crushing graham crackers. It's simple and to die for and requires zero baking. My personal preference is pecans, but you may use walnuts or what the heck--try any nut out for size.

Provided by AmyZoe

Categories     Dessert

Time 10m

Yield 1 pie crust, 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 4

2 cups walnuts or 2 cups pecans
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Steps:

  • Chop walnuts or pecans (I did mine in the blender).
  • Melt butter and mix with the nuts in a pie plate.
  • Add sugar and salt and pat into bottom of pie pan.
  • Oila! Cooking is done, and you're ready to fill your crust.

PERFECT PIE CRUST



Perfect Pie Crust image

Try this recipe for Perfect Pie Crust from Food Network's Ina Garten.

Provided by Ina Garten

Categories     dessert

Yield 2 (10-inch) crusts

Number Of Ingredients 6

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Steps:

  • Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

PERFECT NUT CRUST



Perfect Nut Crust image

This recipe makes a great base for Martha's Buttermilk-Blueberry Tart with Walnut Crust or Nut-Crusted Cranberry Tart.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Pie & Tarts Recipes

Yield Makes one 10-inch tart or one 8-by-11-inch tart

Number Of Ingredients 6

3 1/2 ounces walnuts, finely chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine walnuts, butter, sugar, flour, salt, yolk, and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Firmly press into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch or 11-by-8-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake until edges are set and golden, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

PERFECT PECAN PIE



Perfect Pecan Pie image

Of all pies, pecan is one of the trickiest to make. The problem is in the crust. A fat-filled dough is tender, flaky and flavorful, but likely to tear during rolling and to develop tiny holes during baking. Naturally, the lava-like pecan-pie filling seeps into these openings, baking rock-hard onto the pie plate. A lean crust, on the other hand, is sturdy, but tough and dry. The crust I've developed offers the best of both styles: The following recipe is rich and tender, yet baker-friendly. Bonus: This silky-smooth filling tastes a little less treacly sweet, a plus for most pecan pie lovers.

Provided by USA WEEKEND columnist Jean Carper

Categories     Desserts     Pies     Pecan Pie Recipes

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 ⅛ cups pecans
1 cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup light corn syrup
3 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
⅓ cup water
1 ⅛ cups bleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
4 tablespoons frozen butter
2 tablespoons frozen vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons ice cold water

Steps:

  • To make crust: Mix flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Rub cream cheese into flour mixture with fingertips to blend thoroughly. Using a box grater, grate frozen butter and shortening into flour mixture. Working quickly, rub fat into flour until it has the texture of coarse sand and small pebbles. Stir in ice-cold water with a fork until dough clumps form; press to form a cohesive ball. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, pressing it into a thick disk. Refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 1 hour. (Can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen for a month.)
  • Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14-inch circle, turning frequently and dusting with flour to keep it from sticking. Fold dough in half; quickly lift it into 9-inch Pyrex (not deep-dish) pie plate and unfold. Fit dough into plate so it is not stretched in any way. Trim with scissors to 1/2-inch beyond pan lip. Roll overhanging dough under with fingertips so it is flush with pan lip, then flute. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. (Do not prick shell with a fork.)
  • Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line pie shell with a sheet of heavy-duty foil. Crumple 3 large pieces of foil into balls and place in shell to act as light weights. Bake (lightly pressing on foil if dough starts to balloon) until fluting turns golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove all foil; bake until bottom starts to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Remove shell from oven.
  • To make filling: Adjust oven rack to middle position and reduce temperature to 300 degrees. In a separate pie plate, toast pecans in oven until fragrant, about 10 minutes.
  • Reduce temperature to 250. Meanwhile, heat brown sugar and corn syrup in a medium heat-proof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water until sugar is almost dissolved. In another medium bowl, whisk eggs, yolks, vanilla and salt. Slowly whisk warm sugar mixture into eggs. Return bowl to pan of simmering water. Whisk in butter. In a small pan over low heat, stir together cornstarch and water until pasty thick; whisk into sugar-egg mixture. Heat in bowl over simmering water, stirring frequently. Set pie shell on middle oven rack. Sprinkle in pecans, then pour filling into shell. Bake until pie puffs slightly and just sets, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool to room temperature and serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 579.5 calories, Carbohydrate 69.4 g, Cholesterol 159.5 mg, Fat 32.4 g, Fiber 2.1 g, Protein 7.1 g, SaturatedFat 11.7 g, Sodium 377 mg, Sugar 37.5 g

NUT CRUST



Nut Crust image

Provided by The New York Times

Categories     easy, quick, dessert

Time 5m

Yield 1 11-inch pie crust

Number Of Ingredients 3

2 cups toasted, coarsely ground pecans
1 egg white, beaten to form soft peaks
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Steps:

  • Combine pecans with egg white and brown sugar and use to line bottom and sides of an 11-inch pie plate.

PERFECT PIE CRUST



Perfect Pie Crust image

The perfect pie crust is tender, light, flaky, and golden and lends itself to all of the Thanksgiving favorites.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Pie & Tarts Recipes

Yield Makes two 8- to 10-inch crusts

Number Of Ingredients 5

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, plus more for pie plate
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Steps:

  • Cut each stick of butter into 8 pieces, and refrigerate until needed. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and mix to combine.
  • Add the chilled butter. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture; the mixture should resemble coarse meal with small pieces of butter, the size of small peas, remaining visible.
  • Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over the flour-butter mixture, and blend. Repeat with an additional 2 tablespoons water. At this point, you may have to add more water: When a handful of dough squeezed together just holds its shape, you've added enough; if the dough crumbles, continue incorporating water, 1 tablespoon at a time, checking the consistency after each additional tablespoon.
  • Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two equal pieces, and place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two disks. Wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Place the chilled dough in the center of the work surface, and dust the dough as well as the rolling pin with flour. Position the rolling pin on the center of the disk, and begin rolling the dough away from you. Give the disk a quarter turn, and roll again. Continue turning and rolling until you have an even 1/8-inch thickness. Turning the dough as you roll will prevent it from sticking to the work surface. A dry pastry brush is handy to remove any excess flour during and after the rolling process.
  • Lightly butter the pie plate. To minimize stretching when moving the dough, roll it around the pin, lift up, and unroll over the buttered pie plate. Using your fingers, gently pat the dough into place. Trim any excess dough with a paring knife or kitchen shears, leaving a 1-inch overhang; then fold dough under to reinforce the edge.

Tips:

  • Choose the right nuts: Not all nuts are created equal when it comes to making a nut crust. Some nuts, like walnuts and pecans, have a higher oil content than others, which can make the crust too oily. Other nuts, like almonds and hazelnuts, have a more neutral flavor, which can allow the other ingredients in the crust to shine through.
  • Toast the nuts: Toasting the nuts before using them in the crust will help to bring out their flavor and make them more aromatic. You can toast nuts in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, or you can toast them in a skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant and golden brown.
  • Grind the nuts finely: The finer you grind the nuts, the smoother the texture of the crust will be. You can use a food processor or a blender to grind the nuts until they are a fine powder.
  • Use a combination of nuts: Using a combination of different nuts in the crust will add complexity and flavor. For example, you could use a combination of walnuts, pecans, and almonds.
  • Add other ingredients to the crust: In addition to nuts, you can also add other ingredients to the crust, such as oats, flour, sugar, and spices. These ingredients can help to bind the crust together and add flavor.

Conclusion:

Making a nut crust is a great way to add flavor and texture to your pies, tarts, and other desserts. With a few simple tips, you can make a nut crust that is both delicious and beautiful. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting way to crust your favorite desserts, give a nut crust a try.

Related Topics