A Fantastic Macadamia Nut Tart

Dear SOS: To conclude a delicious dinner at Spago one night, we ordered dessert. A wise choice was the macadamia nut tart. It was outstanding. I called the restaurant, and Beatrice Keech, the pastry chef, was generous in sharing her recipe. I have prepared it at least five times since receiving the recipe, and each time it receives the same enthusiasm and raves as when we had it.

--JUDY

Dear Judy: This is the sort of switch we rarely succumb to, but in this case we melt gladly. It’s a fantastic pie and one that should be shared by all, as anyone on our taste panel will testify. Thanks, Spago. SPAGO’S MACADAMIA NUT TART

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 vanilla bean, split

1 1/4 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur

1 1/2 cups toasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Tart Shell

Beat brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, eggs and egg yolks until light. Brown butter in saucepan with vanilla bean and Frangelico.

Discard vanilla bean and add butter mixture to sugar mixture. Fold in macadamia nuts. Pour into Tart Shell. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until set. Makes 1 tart.

Note: Frangelico liqueur, a blend of hazelnut, berry and wild flower essence, can be purchased at most liquor stores. Tart Shell

3 cups pastry flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups butter

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup whipping cream

Blend pastry flour, sugar and butter with dough hook until crumbly. Beat together egg yolks and whipping cream and add to flour mixture until dough is well mixed. Do not overmix.

Divide dough into 3 portions and chill. Roll out each portion and pat into 10- to 12-inch tart pan. Butter 1 side wax paper square large enough to fit over pie shell and place, buttered side down, on uncooked pastry shell. Top wax paper with rice, beans or bakers jewels to weight down. Bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes or until sides begin to brown. Remove weights and wax paper and bake tart shell additional 5 to 10 minutes until bottom begins to brown.

Dear SOS: Our office is having a large luncheon in the near future and I would like to bring some monkey bread. However, I don’t have a recipe for it and thought you might be able to furnish me with one. I also plan to prepare it with whole-wheat flour or part whole-wheat flour, which I realize will change the texture. Will it also need more yeast? It seems as though whenever I make bread at home using all or half whole-wheat flour, the yeast never does its job or the bread doesn’t rise much. Any suggestions?

--MONKEY ON MY BACK

Dear On My Back: First things first. This monkey bread recipe was shared with us by the late Mahalia Jackson, and like most monkey breads, it calls for all-purpose flour. Whole-wheat flour, as you probably know, is higher in protein and lower in starch than all-purpose wheat flour, which is why the bread tends to become dense and rise only slightly in whole-wheat bread recipes. The higher the whole-wheat flour content, the more dense the bread. So if you want to use whole-wheat flour, but want a lighter product, use a higher proportion of all-purpose to whole-wheat flours. For example, in this monkey bread you could use four to five cups all-purpose flour and enough whole-wheat flour to make six to seven cups. MAHALIA JACKSON’S MONKEY BREAD

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon shortening

2 packages dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

6 to 7 cups flour, about

Butter or margarine, melted

Scald milk and add sugar, salt and shortening. Cool mixture to lukewarm. Sprinkle or crumble yeast into lukewarm water and stir until dissolved. Stir yeast into cooled milk mixture. Gradually add flour to milk mixture, mixing well. Add enough flour to make dough stiff enough to be handled easily. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny.

Shape dough into 18x3-inch loaf. Brush surface lightly with melted butter. Cover and let rise in warm place free from drafts until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cut loaf crosswise into 32 slices and dip slices in 1 cup melted butter. Place 8 slices each in bottoms of 2 (9-inch) tube pans. Top bottom layer, covering cracks, with 8 more slices each. Let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees 50 to 60 minutes or until golden and crusty.

Dear SOS: I would like to have a recipe for potato knish.

--E.L.Z.

Dear E.L.Z.: You’ve got it. It’s a wonderful snack and ideal picnic food, too. POTATO KNISHES

1 1/4 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/3 cup oil

1 tablespoon water

Potato Filling

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into bowl. Make a well in center and add egg, oil and water. Work dough with fingers until blended, then knead until smooth.

Divide dough in half and roll each portion about 1/8 inch thick. Spread half of Potato Filling over each dough half and roll up as for jellyroll. Cut into 1 1/2-inch slices. Place slices on greased baking sheets. Press down lightly to flatten. Bake at 375 degrees 35 minutes or until browned. Makes 12 knishes. Potato Filling

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup mashed potatoes

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook onion in butter until tender. Beat in potatoes, egg, salt, thyme and pepper until mixture is fluffy.