Georgie Porgie Pudding Pie

Almond Tart 
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 12" tart shell, baked 
2 1/2 cups blanched whole almonds
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Optional:
Fruit, such as pitted cherries or cubed nectarines, peaches or pears

Tart Shell:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
A medium pinch of salt
4 cups flour
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup cold milk or water

Directions
Tart Shell: 

Makes 2, 12 inch tart shells - 1/2 can be frozen 

You can make this pastry in a food processor or by hand. Cream together the butter, sugar and salt and then rub or pulse in the flour and egg yolks. When this mixture has come together, looking like coarse breadcrumbs, add the cold milk or water. Pat and gently work together to form a ball of dough. Lightly flour and push, pat and squeeze into shape. The idea is to get your ingredients into a dough form with a minimum amount of movement. 

Roll the pastry into a large, short and fat sausage shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to rest for at least 1 hour. Carefully slice off thin slivers of your pastry lengthways, around 1/8 inch thick. Place the slivers in and around the bottom and sides of your tart pan, just fitting together like a sort of jigsaw. Then simply push the pieces together, level out and tidy up the sides by pushing with your thumb and either cleaning off the excess pastry from the rim of the pan or allowing it to hang over the edge. Once you have finished lining your tart pan allow it to rest for an hour, preferably in the freezer. I always line two tart pans and freeze one for another day. Bake the tart shells for around 12 minutes at 350ºF, which will cook the tart all the way through, coloring it slightly. 

Tart 

Pre heat the oven to 350ºF. In a food processor, blitz the whole almonds to a fine powder and put into a bowl. Then blitz the butter and the sugar until light and creamy. Add this to the almonds with the lightly beaten eggs and fold in until completely mixed. Place the refrigerator to firm up slightly. Once it has chilled fill the tart shell not too generously or it will spill over. 

If making a fruit and almond tart it is always a good idea to pick fruit that is slightly unripe when it is cooked it will contrast with the sweetness of the almond filling. My favorites are fat cherries, nectarines, peaches and pears. Just push the fruit into the almond mixture once you`ve filled the tart case. 

Bake on a tray for about an hour, or until the almond mix has become firm and golden. Allow to cool for about 1/2 an hour, and serve with ice cream, crème fraiche or vanilla cream. 

This tart will keep for 2 days.

ALMOND CARAMEL PIE
1 (9 inch) baked pie shell

FILLING
1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened
2 tsp. flour
8 oz. almond paste, cut into sm. pieces
2 eggs
Caramel ice cream topping (1 c.)
3 tbsp. flour
1 c. sliced almonds

TOPPING
1 to 2 c. whipping cream
2 to 3 tbsp. powdered sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In small bowl, combine butter, 2 tablespoons flour, almond paste and eggs at medium speed until well blended. Spoon mixture evenly into pie crust lined pan. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until filling is set and a light golden brown. Reserve 1/3 cup of the caramel topping. In small bowl using wire whisk, blend remaining caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour. Stir in almonds. Carefully spoon over baked filling in pie pan. Return to oven. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. In large bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Spoon whipping cream around edge of pie leaving small circle in center. Just before serving drizzle about 2 teaspoons of reserved caramel topping over each piece. Keep refrigerated.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Karo Corn Syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (~8 ounces) pecans
• 1 unbaked 9" deep dish pie crust

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Stir the first five ingredients thoroughly using a spoon. Mix in pecans. Pour into pie crust. Bake on center rack of oven for 55-60 minutes. Cool for 2+ hours.

1/2 lb. caramels 
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. butter 
3/4 cup sugar 
1/4 tsp. salt 
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup pecan halves
9" unbaked pie shell

Combine caramel, water and butter in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until caramels melt and mixture is smooth. Combine sugar, salt, vanilla and eggs. Gradually add sugar mixture to cooked sauce mixture. Mix well. Add pecans. Pour into pie shell. Bake 10 minutes at 400°. Reduce heat to 350°, and bake 20 more minutes. Cool.