Classic Pecan Pie

Overview

• PREP: 20 MINS (Pastry), 10 MINS (Pecan Pie Mix)
• BAKING: 25 MINS (Blindbaking), 45 MINS (Pecan Pie Mix)
• DIFFICULTY: EASY
• SERVES: 8

Background

This pie is one of my all-time favourites. As they say; it is a classic for a reason. It is super indulgent, sweet, and pretty looking. It also only takes a few minutes to put it together once the pastry is made. My favourite way to enjoy my slice of pecan pie is with some freshly whipped cream, and a cup of coffee.

1. Pastry Dough

• 250g Plain Flour
• 155g Cold Unsalted Butter
• 8g Caster Sugar
• 5g Salt
• 15g Cold Milk
• 1 Medium Egg

First dice your butter. Place it in your mixing bowl with the flour, salt and sugar. Mix on speed one with the paddle attachment until you have fine bread crumbs. While that is mixing organise your milk and egg together. When the flour and butter mix is ready, (looks like fine breadcrumbs), begin to add the milk and egg together. Mix until it is just beginning to come together and there are no dry bits at the bottom of the mixing bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, and bring it together by hand. Flatten it down into a nice neat patty and clingfilm it tightly. Place it in the fridge to rest until hard, over-night is best.

The following day remove the pastry from the fridge and allow it 5 minutes to come around before rolling. This is so it does not break when you begin to roll it. However, if it becomes soft it will become difficult to work with and will not yield the perfect tart shell you are looking for. Butter and flour the inside of your tart case. Place a disc of parchment paper in the base of you tart case. Divide your dough in half. Roll one half of the pastry down so that it is nice and thin, approx. 2.5mm – 3mm. This is a nice thickness to eat, and to work with. Gently roll the pastry around your rolling pin and unroll it over the top of your tart case. Now with your fingers, working methodically around the shell; gently encourage the pastry down into the base of the tart case without stretching the dough. Place your fingers behind the pastry and encourage it forward into the case, with small movements. This way it should fall in as a result of its own weight.

When the dough is inside the tart case, take a small ball of the extra dough, about the size of a bull’s eye, and wrap it in clingfilm. Dip this in flour and use it to press gently into the corners all the way around the case. This will help you achieve sharp corners all the way around you tart when you demould it later. Leave the little bit of extra pastry still attached for the moment. Next roll the second half of your dough down to a similar thickness of 2.5mm – 3mm. This needs only to be slightly larger than the size of the top of the tart case. Place your pie case and lid into the fridge to rest for a few minutes.

2. Blind Baking

Set your convection oven to 170C, fan oven 165C.
#You will need baking beans or rice ready to fill your tart shell.
Roll clingfilm on the counter so that it is 1 ½ the size of your tart case. Now do the same again at right angles to the original piece so that you end up with a cross of clingfilm.
Run your hand over the clingfilm to make sure no air is trapped between the 2 layers.
When the oven is at temperature remove the tart case from the fridge. Remove the clingfilm wrapped around it, and then place your new cross of clingfilm gently into it, leaving the excess overhanging. Next fill the tart shell with your rice/ baking beans and close it all with the excess clingfilm. Check that the clingfilm is not pulling the beans away from the pastry when you do this. Leave it nice and loose.
Place the tart shell on a tray and into the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and gently lift the clingfilm bag a little to see how your pastry is doing. The clingfilm bag of beans can be removed when the pastry is ¾ cooked. Then the final cooking is done without anything in the tart to allow the pastry to dry out a bit and crisp up.
#Be very careful moving, and removing the hot clingfilm bag of beans. The clingfilm can be fragile, it will be full of steam and very hot.

Make a tiny bit of egg wash with an egg yolk, a little drop of cream, and a tiny pinch of salt.
When the pastry is cooked turn the oven down by 5-10 C and brush the inside of the pastry shell lightly with the egg wash. You are now sealing the pastry so that it will hold the lemon filling without leaks. Pay close attention to the corners.
Replace the tart shell in the oven and cook it until the egg wash is golden. Remove from the oven check you are satisfied with your egg wash seal – if you need do a little more work on it and then when finished allow to completely cool.

3. For the Filling

• 110g Butter
• 110g Golden Syrup
• 10g Vanilla Extract
• 220g Light Soft Brown Sugar
• 3 Whole Eggs
• 280g Pecans

Preheat the oven to 150 C.

Place the butter, golden syrup, vanilla extract and sugar into a saucepan and warm gently to melt the butter.
Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly so that it is only just warm when you come to add the eggs.
Add your eggs and mix well.

Scatter the pecans into the pastry case and then pour the mix over them until them.

The tart is now ready to bake. Place it into the oven for approx. 40 – 50 minutes or until there is a good wobble. If it begins to souffle a little remove it from the oven.
Leave aside to cool. Demould it while it is still a little warm.