I was much honored to receive an invitation from Leemei of MyCookingHut to be a guest writer on her Blog. Although occupying a full time job and running my own SugarHeadBlog, I gave this opportunity prime time of  highest priority.

To read my post on her Blog follow this link

As an Executive Pastry Chef I am every minute connected to food, sampled perhaps most delicious dishes from around the world and have many favorite foods. I therefore chose a dessert from my home country, Switzerland which is normally presented as a tart. Engadiner Nut Tart or in Romantsch; “Tuorta da nusch”. I have changed slightly adjusted the basic ingredients and added some to transform this tart into a dessert to be served in a glass. As in all dishes and in particular to this; the basic ingredients need to be of the best quality. Chinese Walnuts is a big no-no; they look great but taste horrible. For the Brandy I used a Riesling, Chardonnay und Cabernet-Sauvignon Grappa, four times distilled from Austria.
Since I live and work in the Middle East I used Katayef do decorate this dessert. Nowadays this ingredient is easily available in the frozen section of super markets and is very versatile for home cooking!

For the Nut filling:

300 gram Sugar, castor
20 gram Honey
10 gram Lemon juice
60 gram Butter, unsalted
100 gram Cream 35%
45 gram Grappa
2 gram Fleur de Sel
3 gram Lemon zest
200 gram Walnut kernel

Cook the sugar with honey and lemon juice to a dark brown caramel. Carefully add the soft butter, bring to a simmer. Add the walnut kernel, fleur de sel with the Grappa and last the Lemon zest. Bring all ingredients to a boil and pour into a dish to cool completely.

For the Crumble:

150 gram Flour, pastry
80 gram Sugar, castor
60 gram Butter, unsalted
10 gram Baking Powder
2 gram Vanilla Sugar
5 gram Lemon zest
30 gram Egg yolk

Sift the flour with baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add vanilla and castor sugar and combine with butter. Add the lemon zest and egg yolk and rub to a crumble. Place on baking tray lined with was paper and bake at pre-heated oven of 180°Celsius for 16 minutes. Set aside to cool.
For the Katayef décor:

100 gram Katayef, shredded dough
10 gram Butter
20 gram Sugar, castor
20 gram Icing sugar for dusting

Form with some of the shredded dough a round nest and place into buttered muffin moulds. Tab with a water glass flat and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar and bake covered at 180°Celsius for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool before dusting with icing sugar

Assembly:

Spoon some of the crumble on the bottom of the glass followed by the nut filling. Cover with the remaining crumble and decorate with a Katayef disk as décor.