Maple Pecan Tart

This is the pecan tart I made for Thanksgiving. I know, I know. It's a little late to be posting Thanksgiving recipes...but better late than never!

I decided to make a pecan tart for because I discovered pecan pie is one of my Dad's favorites and also because Aunt Julie found this great recipe - and I thought I'd give it a try. 

I'd never made a pecan pie or tart of any kind until this past holiday, and I was very pleased with how it turned out. Best of all, I avoided corn syrup all together (which is crazy considering 99.9% of recipes you'll find for pecan pie require corn syrup). Well, that and the fact that I had an excuse to quote When Harry Met Sally the whole time I was making this beauty - "peeecan pie".  Say it. It's fun. You know it is.

Anyway, try this recipe out the next time you are bitten by the baking bug.

Enjoy!

Maple Pecan Tart

Ingredients

1 large, organic egg yolk

3 tablespoons organic unsalted butter, melted, divided

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (you can find coconut oil at places like Whole Foods and PCC)

1 tablespoon water

2 cups raw pecan halves, divided

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

2 organic large eggs

1/2 cup pure, grade B maple syrup

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Generously coat a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.

Combine egg yolk, 2 tablespoons melted butter, oil and water in a small bowl. 

Process 1/2 cup pecans and sugar in a food processor to the consistency of coarse meal. Add flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pulse until combined. Drizzle the yolk mixture through the feed tube while pulsing - just until the mixture is combined.

Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides to form a crust. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and just beginning to brown on the edges. 12 - 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Transfer 1/4 cup of the mixture to a small bowl. Chop 1/2 cup pecans and add to the medium bowl. Mix the remaining 1 cup pecans with the reserved maple mixture.

Remove the tart crust from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

If there are any cracks in the crust, sprinkle with a little flour and use a dry pastry brush to seal the flour into the cracks. Evenly spread the filling in the crust. Arrange the maple syrup-coated pecans decoratively on top and drizzle with any remaining maple mixture.

Bake the tart until it no longer jiggles in the center when gently shaken, 25-30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack from about 20 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan (use a butter knife to gently loosen the tart from the pan sides if it sticks in spots). Let cool completely, about 40 minutes more.