Even the most anti-dessert person cannot resist this one. Note that both the tart dough and the pastry cream can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for a day or two.

Ingredients
For the crust : (makes enough for a dozen little tarts or a large single tart)

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup toasted and ground nuts (hazlenuts, walnuts or pecans)
• 1/4 lb plus 3 table-spoons sweet butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of water (only if necessary)

• one cup of whole milk (try to see if you can find sheep's milk, or even better quality
• fresh cow's milk, it will make a world of difference)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• one tablespoon white flour
• a 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or a 1/4 teaspoon essence of orange blossom
• 2 egg yolks

For the crust:
In a large mixing bowl put in the flour and toasted, ground nuts, the sugar, the salt, and the butter cut in small pieces. Push up your sleeves, wash your hands, take off your rings, and with your fingers and opposable thumbs, work the butter into the dry ingredients until you get to a sandy texture that, if you squeeze a hand-full,will hold together. Into this mixture, break your whole egg and work in the egg with your hands lightly, then, as needed, add a tablespoon of water, work the dough quickly together and pat it into a ball, then put it into your refridgerator to chill.

At a minimum 2 hours later, remove the dough from the fridge and put it onto a work surface. (At this point you can preheat your oven to 350F/160C). I highly recommend working on a marble pastry surface (or polished granite). Sprinkle some flour on the work surface and start to knead your dough. Press it down and fold it over, press it and fold it, forabout 2-5 minutes. You want it to start to hold together and no longer crumble too easily apart.

I like to make tartelets with this dough as it is not easy to cut once cool after cooking and the presentation is more elegant and individual. But, should you wish to make one big tart, cut the tart crust into portions just out of the oven with a good sharp knife, and then fill just before serving.

When making tartelets, I take a small amount of dough, roll them out, place them in the greased tart pans and then snip off the extra dough around the edges.

To pre-cook the crust:
Poke the crust with a fork multiple times, place into your pre-heated oven and bake till it just begins to take some color, about 5-10 minutes. If you've a stash of beans for baking tarts, do use them here. If not, you may need to keep an eye on the tarts that they do not rise, and tap them down with a wooden spoon.

For the pastry cream:
In a double boiler pour in your milk and sugar, stir with a whisk as it heats. take your flour in a separate small bowl, and a couple tablespoons of your milk, whisk them together and then add this flour mixture to the heating milk. Add your vanilla or orange blossom essence (a favorite flavoring around the Mediterranean). As you did for the flour, so do for the egg yolks. Take a couple tablespoons of your heating milk and in a separate bowl whisk them with the egg yolks. Then add this mixture to the heating milk. Whisk constantly and gently. The cream should take within 5-8 minutes. When it begins to thicken you can turn off the heat below the saucepan. Continue whisking for another 2 minutes or so, remove the upper part of the double boiler to take it away from the steam below. Let cool, whisking a bit as it does. Store in the refrigerator a day or two till needed.