Thursday, May 22, 2014

Butternut Cookie Chocolate Tarts


Today's "recipe" is kind of a non-recipe, but it is a really quick, easy and neat trick for making little caramel or chocolate tarts with an oat base with minimal effort.

In Australia, we have oatmeal cookies called butternut snap cookies, made by Arnotts.  They are the hard, non-flexible type of oatmeal cookie.  They can be used to make little tart cases by heating them, four at a time, in an oven pre-heated to 200 degrees Celsius, until they are soft (takes around a couple of minutes), then while they are still soft, pressing them into a patty cake tin or with the back of a teaspoon so that they form perfect little tart cases.  You must only work with a few at a time because they harden again very quickly, and they crack or break rather than curve if you don't work quickly.

Here are the results:


You can then fill them with whatever you please, but for a super easy, super quick treat, I filled them with chocolate pie filling from a can - mine was from Aldi, but you can also buy one made by Nestle.  See the photo at the top of the post for the end result.  Ta da - quick, tasty and no baking skills required.

The recipe idea has been printed all over the place, but one source is here.  I ate one of these little tarts and deemed them good. 

Now for a really sad story.  I attempted to take the rest of the tarts to work on the train in a cupcake carrier - and I mean attempted.  A very rude, very arrogant person pushed past  where I was standing on the train.  He didn't say excuse me or ask me to move so he could get past - he just shoved through.  As a result, he knocked the cupcake carrier out of my hand, and all the tarts fell face down onto the floor of the train.  This created a terrible mess, as you can imagine, and I had to do my best to scoop up the wreckage into the carrier, and went to work with goo all over my hands.  Now here is where it takes the cake - after glancing at what he had done, this person went to move on without saying or doing anything to help or apologise.  I am no wilting violet, so I asked him if he was going to help to pick them up.  His response was to the effect that it was my fault for being in his way, and did little or nothing to help before moving on as though nothing had happened. And there he was, wearing a fancy suit, and probably going to work to schmooze clients and pretend that he was a great guy.

I refused to let this individual spoil my day - I stood with my head held high, cleaned up my person and my cupcake carrier at work, and got on with my day. 

14 comments:

Catherine said...

Lovely tarts ...I do love anything chocolate. Blessings, Catherin e

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

What an excellent way to make tart shells! I wonder if we have a similar cookie in the states?I'm so sorry you had an encounter with such a rude, classless individual. I'm glad he didn't spoil your day.

Johanna GGG said...

I've never done this but my mum sometimes does little caramel tarts (like banoffee pie) or chocoalte caramel tarts with them - they are always delicious but I think that the name must be confusing to international people who probably think it contains butternut pumpkin - though I guess the name was there long before we all started using butternut pumpkin regularly. Sorry to hear about the rude man on the train - I hear about rude people on the train quite regularly from E who takes trains to work - amazing how some people can be so full of their own importance

Kari said...

What a brilliant idea! I have never heard of that use for Buttersnap biscuits, but I'm sold on it now. These look delicious.

Unknown said...

Delicious! I love making these with caramel and a dollop of cream. What a yummy afternoon treat.

Hotly Spiced said...

What a sad story! I can't believe it. That's such disappointing behaviour from anyone. I'm so sorry to hear this. I love the idea of melting down biscuits to make tart bases xx

Cakelaw said...

Thanks Liz - I am too.

Cakelaw said...

Yes - you see the best and the worst on public transport.

Cakelaw said...

My thoughts exactly Lorraine!

Cakelaw said...

Yes, chocolate is a winner.

Cakelaw said...

I knew about but was dubious - now I've tried it and the hang of it, I am sold.

Cakelaw said...

It seems luke a crazy idea but it works really well - the trick is to do a few at a time and work fast. You can use fingers to handle the biscuits as they don't get very hot in such s short time.

2paw said...

I do the same thing with Gingernuts and fill them with caramel, top with banana and cream and toasted coconut: tiny banoffee tarts!!(I can't have chocolate...) At a pinch you can soften them in the microwave too, but it takes some experimenting to find the right temperature and time. Well, what a boogelly man, I am glad you maintained grace in the face of such rudeness.I think politeness costs nothing, and I am so sorry your tarts were ruined by someone dumber than a toaster. ( Heard that on AM this morning describing a satellite, on reflection I think it is demeaning to satellites!!)

Kayte said...

I made tarts like that from a Donna Hay recipe that used that same technique...what a nice deal that was. I think I posted it when IHCC was doing Donna Hay as it is in the Simple Dinners book. Yours look cute and fun!