Maple Pecan Tart
This maple pecan tart has a buttery pecan shortbread crust and a gooey maple pecan filling.
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Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup pecan flour (or finely ground pecans)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 10 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1 large egg, yolk and white separated
Filling
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp maple extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ cup pecan flour (or finely ground pecans)
- whole pecans for decorating the top, optional
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- In a bowl, combine the flour, pecan flour, sugar and salt.
- Scatter the cold butter over the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter in until moist and crumbly, and the pieces of butter are no bigger than peas.
- Stir in the egg yolk, then use your hands to work the moisture into the crumbs until you can squeeze the crumbs together in your hand and they hold together.
- Dump the dough crumbs into the tart pan, and firmly press the crumbs against the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Make sure to press the crumbs all the way up the sides to the top of the pan, so the filling doesn't spill over.
- Freeze the crust for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Set tart pan with the frozen crust on a baking sheet. Cut a circle of parchment paper, place it over the frozen crust, and fill with dried beans (or pie weights). Cover the edge of the crust with a pie crust shield.
- Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, scoop the dried beans out of the center, and carefully peel off the parchment paper.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the egg white gently over the bottom and sides of the crust.
- Return the crust to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes, just until it's a light golden brown color. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the filling.
Filling
- Turn the oven temperature down to 350 F.
- In a bowl, whisk together all of the filling ingredients until well combined. Gently pour the filling into the pre-baked crust. (The pan should still be sitting on the baking sheet.)
- If you like, arrange whole pecans on top of the filling. Place them on carefully, and the pecans will float right on top.
- Cover the edge of the crust with a pie crust shield.
- Being careful not to slosh the filling, return the tart to the oven. Bake the tart for 30 minutes, until the filling is puffed and set.
- Cool completely at room temperature before serving.
Whipped Cream
- With an electric mixer, whip the cream, syrup and vanilla extract until soft, fluffy peaks form that hold their shape.
- Serve slices of the tart with whipped cream.
Notes
Cover the leftover tart at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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