A festive variation of American pecan pie, this French version shows off the naturally rich flavor of exotic nuts. My favorite combination is pecans, almonds & pistachios. You may wish to try using walnuts, macadamia nuts, or pine nuts. Thanks to Sam's club, all of these nuts are available to us at reasonable prices.

Makes one 11-inch tart ~ serves 8-12

1. Place flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and process for a few seconds to combine. Add egg yolk, processing a few seconds more. Add the butter pieces to the flour mixture, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add the ice water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube while pulsing , just until the dough holds together. Do not process more than 30 seconds or allow machine to run continuously, or dough will become tough. (If mixing dough manually, whisk flour, sugar and salt together; then whisk in egg yolk. Cut butter into flour with pastry cutter or fork until butter pieces are pea-size or smaller. Add just enough ice water to make pastry hold together.)
2. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and roll out until the dough extends the tart pan by one inch all around, dusting with more flour to avoid sticking. (Do not add more flour than necessary). Fold dough in half and in half again in order to lift it without tearing. Place into tart pan and shape dough to pan. Prick the bottom all over with a fork to allow steam to escape. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes, or place in freezer 10-15 minutes. This allows the butter to solidify and create a flakier crust. (When placed in a pre-heated oven, the solidified chilled butter holds a “space” as the pastry sets, creating a lighter pastry than would room temperature butter.)
3. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line the pastry crust in with parchment paper, and pour the dried beans onto the parchment paper to weight the pastry and prevent shrinking. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove parchment paper and beans; and bake an additional 2 minutes, until cooked and slightly puffed, but not colored. Remove from oven, and glaze with egg wash, then bake again 2 minutes. Set aside until ready to add filling.

What to do with left-over turkey?? Make a tasty (and surprisingly easy!) French gougère. Gougère is a cheese flavored choux pastry that is piped into a ring shape before being baked. Gougère can be served hot or cold as an hors d'oeuvre (the baked ring can stand alone), or baked with a filling inside the ring and served as an entrée.

Serves 4 as a main dish.

1. Prepare and bake the Basic Choux Pastry with Cheese, as directed in following recipe; then proceed with the filling.
2. Melt butter and cook onions slowly until soft. Add the peppers and mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes. Add carrots and sauté until slightly tender, about more 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over sauteed vegetables, stir until vegetables are well coated with dissolved flour. Add the stock, wine, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then quickly to a simmer, stirring until mixture thickens. Remove pan from heat and add the turkey and tomatoes, if using. Taste, and season accordingly with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the turkey mixture into the center of the pastry ring in the baking dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, until filling is bubbly. (To avoid overbrowning the pastry ring, cover ring loosely with foil, if necessary.)
5. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving; sprinkle with chopped parsley.
   
   * Chicken may be substitued at other times of the year, as may ham strips or roast beef. If using ham or beef, it is recommended to use beef stock instead of chicken stock.

Known in French as pâte-à-choux, this special pastry is made by an entirely different method of other pastries. Choux pastry is used to make cream puffs, éclairs, gougère, and profiteroles. Unfilled, cooked puffs may be made up to 3 weeks ahead and frozen in Ziplock freezer bags. When ready to use, defrost and warm in a 350°F oven for 3-5 minutes until crisp. Properly prepared choux pastry is slightly shiny and somewhat sticky. On humid days, you may need to reduce the number of eggs in order to achieve the right consistency. To test the pastry, run a wooden spoon down the middle of the dough; it should form a trough that quickly closes in on itself.

Makes one batch (serves 4 as part of gougère)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 10-inch glass pie dish or baking dish. Whisk the cayenne pepper into the flour. Place the water, butter, and salt into a large saucepan and slowly bring to a boil until butter is melted and the water just comes to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and add the flour all at once, stirring rapidly and constantly with a wooden spoon until flour mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball, about 5 minutes. Return to heat and stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes, to expel moisture. The mixture will form a mass and a film will form on bottom of pan. Remove from heat and pour into large heat-proof mixing bowl.
3. Add eggs, one by one, beating vigorously after each addition (make this easier by using electric beaters on low speed) until they are completely incorporated and the pastry is smooth. The mixture will fall apart when you first start beating in an egg but should form a mass again as you continue beating. When it comes together, add another egg. Whisk the fourth egg in a small bowl. Slowly beat it into the dough until the mixture is shiny and still holds its shape ~ you may not need all of the last egg.
4. Gently stir cheeses into warm pastry.
5. With two large tablespoons, arrange the dough in mounds around the outside edge of the buttered pie dish, forming a ring with a hollow center. Gently glaze the ring with egg glaze using a soft pastry brush or your finger. Smooth the top of each mound. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pastry ring from oven and pierce each mound with a sharp knife or skewer. If possible, crack the oven door slightly. (Piercing the pastry and keeping the door cracked allows moisture to escape so that the interior is not soggy.) Bake an additional 10 minutes or more until pastry is golden and crisp to the touch. Cool completely on a baking rack.