Salted Caramel Nut Tartlets With Single-Malt Cream

DIRECTIONS

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine flour, powdered sugar, almond flour, and salt and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. Add butter and mix on medium-low speed until the butter is in tiny pieces and the mixture looks like sand, 5-7 minutes.
2. Add beaten egg mixture and mix until dough comes together in a smooth mass. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on a countertop, and place dough on top. Press it gently into a 1” thick rectangle and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
3. Line a large sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Have ready 6 tart pans or rings.
4. Unwrap the chilled dough and cut into 2 equal pieces with a knife or bench scraper. Lightly flour a countertop. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out dough to ⅛” thickness. Start slowly, applying even pressure to the dough to prevent cracking. If the dough cracks or there are holes, simply patch the holes using scraps of dough, gently pressing them into place with your fingers.
5. Use a large round cookie cutter or another round object like a bowl turned upside down to cut out circles of dough 1” larger than your tart pans or rings. Lift up the circles and gently set them down on the pans or rings, then lift up the edges of the dough and coax the dough down into the corners, making sure there is no gap between the dough and the pan or ring. Press the dough evenly up the sides, and use a paring knife to cut away excess dough.
6. Transfer tart pans or rings to prepared sheet pan. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of the crusts, then freeze for 1 hour.
7. Preheat oven to 350℉.
8. Bake crusts until golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the sheet pan halfway through baking. Set tart shells aside. Increase oven temperature to 400℉.
9. To make the caramel, in a large, heavy saucepan combine agave, butter, and cream. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the temperature of the syrup reaches 250℉. Take pan off heat and stir in Scotch, vanilla, and salt (be careful–the sauce will sputter and steam).
10. In a medium bowl stir to combine cashews, pistachios, pecans, and walnuts. Divide nuts among tartlet shells, filling them ¾ full. Pour caramel over nuts.
11. Bake tartlets until deeply browned and bubbling, 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely.
12. While the tartlets cool, make the single-malt cream. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, combine cream, agave, and Scotch. Beat on medium speed until softly whipped.
13. Serve tartlets with dollops of the cream.