Union Square Cafe's Caramel Banana Tart

For Crust: Beat the butter and the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla, and salt and blend well. Add the flour and beat until moist clumps begin to form.

Press the dough with your hands onto the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Pierce with a fork in a few places, about 2 inches apart. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bake the crust until golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For Topping: Place a large baking pan filled halfway with cold water and a few ice cubes next to the stove. Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar, the corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil. Boil the mixture, without stirring but swirling the pan occasionally so that it browns evenly, until it turns a medium amber color, about 7 minutes. Place the pan in the ice water to prevent further cooking and to cool it to lukewarm.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange the banana slices, overlapping them slightly, in a concentric circle beginning at the crust edge and working your way in so that the crust is completely covered.

Brush the remaining tablespoon of butter over the bananas and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake until the tart is just warmed through, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Rewarm the caramel topping over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the tart from the oven. Dip a spoon into the caramel and drizzle it back and forth in squiggly lines over the bananas.

Remove the pan bottom and place the tart on a platter or large plate. Scatter the nuts over the top, slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.