Retro recipe - Caramel Macadamia Tart

Have I ever mentioned that Mr Sweet does not really love decorated cake.

It's just not his thing. He likes lots of sweet stuff like ice-cream and chocolate and pie, often all together.

Anyhoo, I am not just saying that randomly, I mention it because he really liked these 'caramel' tarts which I baked a while back.

In fact I made quite a few different versions and he pretty much liked them all. I think he's a fan of retro desserts, that is, anything from back when we were growing up :)

Also I know that cooking condensed milk is not truly caramel, but this is what we called it when I was growing up so I'm just going to have to keep calling it that.

Hopefully once you taste the crisp buttery shell combined with the creamy delicious filling you will forgive me.

Caramel Macadamia Tart Recipe - makes 6 tarts
If you do not care for macadamia nuts you can omit them from the recipe.

6 tart shells unbaked (click here for recipe and instructions) 8cm (US around 3")
1 tin condensed milk 395g (US 14oz)
1 Tbsp golden syrup (US - 1 1/2Tbsp use dark corn syrup if golden syrup not available)
60g unsalted butter (2 1/8oz)
1 cup raw unsalted macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 180C (360 F)

Place unbaked tart shells into oven and bake for 7 minutes. Shells should be chilled and have baking paper and weights in place ready to blind bake.


Meanwhile place condensed milk, syrup and butter into a saucepan and cook over medium low heat stirring constantly for approx 8 minutes.

Remove tart shells from oven and remove baking paper and weights. Return to oven and bake further 5 minutes.

Reduce oven to 160 C (320 F)

Remove baked shells from oven and spoon condensed milk mixture in until 3/4 full. Mix the macadamia nuts into the remaining condensed milk mixture and then spoon onto the top of the partially filled tart shells.

Bake for further 8 minutes, the condensed milk mixture around the nuts should just start to turn golden.

Remove from oven and allow to cool, take the tarts out of the baking tins and the refrigerate for a few hours.

Store in fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores.

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission.