The sweet and nutty flavors of this pie are
enclosed in a golden pâte brisée pastry. Pecan and maple syrup create an
extremely satisfying combination of textures and tastes. Whilst still baking in
the oven, the rich aromas invite to try the first slice of this crunchy and
sticky pie! The early autumn days are especially suitable for home baking this
delicious treat.
Deliciously moorish pecan nuts are similar to their walnut cousins but without the bitter taste
The following recipe is adapted from
“Ultimate Cake” by Barbara Maher.
Ingredients for 8 to 10 slices
For the pâte brisée pastry
- 180 g of plain sifted flour
- Pinch of salt
- 100g of chilled butter, cut into small
cubes
- 2 tbsp of caster sugar
- 1 lightly beaten egg yolk
- 1 to 2 tbsp of iced water
- 1 egg white
For the filling
- 90 g of butter
- 125 g of light muscovado sugar
- 3 eggs
- 100 ml of maple syrup
- 150 ml of golden syrup
- 1 tbsp of brandy
- Pinch of salt
- 150 g of medium to finely chopped pecans
- 1 tbsp of plain flour
- 250 g of pecans for pie decoration
Preparing the pâte brisée pastry
If time is of essence, it is ideal to make
the pâte brisée pastry a day in advance, as it keeps well in the fridge.
In a large bowl sift the flour again and
add salt. Make a well in the centre and put the butter cubes. Using your fingers rub the butter and flour
together, long enough to tease out all the butter knobs, until it becomes a
fine and crumb-like mixture. The best result is achieved by lifting the crumbs
and letting them fall back down again.
Add the caster sugar to the mix and
distribute evenly by stirring with a fork.
In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolk
and iced water. Once well blended, drizzle it over the flour mixture whilst
stirring continuously with a knife until the mixture starts to stick together
in lumps.
Form a rough pastry ball using the heel of
your hand. It is important to do this quickly to prevent pastry from sticking. Then
knead briefly on a lightly floured surface until the pastry ball is round and
smooth.
Wrap in cling foil and refrigerate for at
least one hour.
Allow the pastry to come back to room
temperature before kneading briefly and rolling on a lightly floured
surface. Keep flouring the rolling pin
frequently to prevent the pastry from sticking. Roll out a circle that is
approximately 5 cm larger than the flan dish (ours is 25 cm in diameter).
Using a dough scraper gently lift the
pastry edge from the surface and place the rolling pin underneath. Carefully
lift the entire pastry so that it rests on the rolling pin and then unroll over
the flan dish.
Carefully ease the pastry into the bottom
of the flan dish, ensuring it is well pressed where the base and sides of the
dish meet. Use a knife to remove any excess pastry that falls over the dish
edges. With your index finger, firmly press the pastry to the sides.
Chill for at least one hour before baking,
as this will prevent the pastry from shrinking in the oven.
Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork
and line with a baking paper (the paper should be cut into a circle that is approximately
3-5 cm larger that the flan dish). Then fill the dish with ceramic pastry beans
or dried pulses. This will prevent the base from rising and sides from falling
down. Bake in a preheated oven (200 degrees Celsius or gas mark 6) for
approximately 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden.
Then remove the ceramic beans or pulses and
the baking paper. Whilst it is still hot, brush the pastry with the egg white
as this will seal it and prevent the pastry from becoming soggy once it
contains the filling.
Preparing the pecan and maple filling
Beat the butter and sugar together until
the mixture is pale and fluffy. Using a kitchen robot with a cake beater
attachment (for example Kenwood K-beater) gives a perfect result with very
little effort. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then slowly add the maple and
golden syrups together with brandy and salt.
In a separate bowl mix together the chopped
pecans and flour. Then gently fold them
into the main mixture ensuring the pecans and flour are well incorporated.
Pour the liquid mixture into the flan dish
and bake in a preheated oven (180 degrees Celsius or gas mark 4) for
approximately 15 minutes, until the filling is lightly set.
Remove the pie from the oven and arrange
the pecan halves on top into a circular pattern. The filling mixture will still
be wobbly so carefully deposit each pecan half exactly where you want it to
sit.
Return the pie to the oven and bake for
another 30 minutes until the filling is set. Keep en eye on the pie as the
pastry may start to overbrown. To prevent this, cover with a piece of foil
shaped into a dome.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire
rack before serving warm or cold.
Filling treat for a sunny autumn afternoon