BAKLAVA & RICE PUDDING TARTS

Instructions

1. For the baklava tart shell, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Clarify your butter by melting it over low heat on the stove or melting it in the microwave. Let the butter sit and cool and then ladle the butter into a separate dish, leaving the white, milky liquid behind.
3. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with the clarified butter. Trim the phyllo sheets to a square shape. Line the pan with half of the phyllo pastry so that it comes up and over the sides of the pan, and brush each sheet with butter before layering the next. Sprinkle the nuts over the bottom of the tart and repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets. Trim away the overhanging phyllo and place strips of foil over the sides of the pan to protect the phyllo and dock the bottom of the tart.
4. Bake the baklava for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. While the baklava bakes, make the syrup by bringing the sugar, honey, water, and cinnamon to just below a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Hold warm over low heat.
5. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, place the pan on a rack, remove the foil and pour the hot syrup over the pastry. This baklava shell can be filled while hot or once cooled.
6. Make the rice pudding by bringing the milk, cream, rice, lemon zest, and scraped vanilla bean seeds (if using vanilla extract, add this later with the sugar) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir the pudding often as it gently simmers for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.
7. Once the rice has cooked, add the sugar and butter and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Spoon some of the hot rice pudding into the bowl of egg yolks and then add this back to the saucepan, stirring for a minute more. Stir in a splash of orange blossom or rose water, if using. Pour the hot rice pudding into the tart shell and let this cool to room temperature before chilling for at least 2 hours.
8. To serve, remove the tart from the pan, spoon or pipe whipped cream on top, and sprinkle with a few chopped pistachios.