Maple Pecan Tart – You’re Welcome

You’re going to want to thank me for this Maple Pecan Tart. I know you are, so I’m just preemptively saying you’re welcome. I have been making this tart since 2007 when I ripped it out of a Bon Appetit magazine. It without fail turns out fabulous. In fact I’ve been known to self-congratulate myself for hours after baking this baby. Be sure to have some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on hand to top it off.

Maple Pecan Tart

Crust

1/2 cup of unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until smooth. Add sugar, egg yolk and salt; beat until blended. Add flour and beat just until dough begins to clump together. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 10 1/2 inch round. Transfer to 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork. Cover and refrigerate. Place in freezer for 1/2 hour before filling and baking.

Filling

3 large eggs
1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Whisk in maple syrup, corn syrup, melted butter and salt. Stir in pecans. Place tart onto rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into unbaked crust. (I like to decorate the centre with whole pecans). Bake tart until filling is slightly puffed and set, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.

Be sure to stand back and gloat when you put this Maple Pecan Tart on the table. You are, after all, one damn fine baker.