Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 50 g powdered sugar
- 2 g salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 30 ml ice water
Maple Rum Filling
- 250 g pecan halves
- 150 ml dark maple syrup
- 100 g light brown sugar, packed
- 60 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 30 ml dark rum
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 3 g flaky sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 616 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 55 g
- Fat
- 41 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 31 g
- Sodium
- 279 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 18 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Cholesterol
- 140 mg
- Potassium
- 246 mg
- Calcium
- 74 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 51 mg
- Phosphorus
- 166 mg
- Zinc
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 177 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.27 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.40 mg
- Niacin
- 0.7 mg
- Folate
- 27 mcg
- Water
- 36 g
- Alcohol
- 1 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, salt, and cold cubed butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
Add the egg yolk and ice water to the processor. Pulse briefly just until the dough begins to clump together into a cohesive mass.
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface, gather into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to a 3mm thickness. Carefully drape and press the dough into the 23cm tart pan, trimming the edges. Prick the base lightly with a fork and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Line the chilled pastry shell with parchment paper and fill to the brim with pie weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, then bake for another 5 minutes until the base is pale golden and dry to the touch.
Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/320°F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, light brown sugar, dark maple syrup, melted and cooled butter, dark rum, vanilla extract, and flaky sea salt until completely smooth and homogenous.
Scatter the pecan halves evenly across the bottom of the warm, pre-baked tart shell. Gently pour the liquid filling over the nuts, allowing the pecans to naturally float to the surface.
Bake the assembled tart at 160°C/320°F for 30 to 35 minutes. Check for doneness; the outer edges should be firm and puffed slightly, while the very center should still register a gentle jiggle when the pan is nudged.
Transfer the tart pan to a wire cooling rack. Allow the tart to cool completely, at least 3 hours, to let the filling fully set before removing from the pan and slicing.
Chef's Notes
- Dark or amber maple syrup provides the most robust flavor required to stand up to the rich rum and toasted pecans. Lighter syrups will result in a cloyingly sweet tart lacking depth.
- For an intensely nutty profile, lightly toast the pecans in a dry skillet for 5 to 7 minutes before assembling the tart. Let them cool completely before adding them to the shell.
- Ensure the melted butter is properly cooled before whisking it into the eggs to prevent accidental scrambling of the egg proteins.
- A splash of aged dark rum imparts beautiful molasses notes, but an equivalent amount of spiced rum can be used to add an extra layer of autumn warmth.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Cover tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container to prevent the crust from absorbing moisture
Freezer: 2 months — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving
Troubleshooting
Tart dough shrinks down the sides of the pan during the blind bake
Cause: The dough was stretched during placement rather than eased into the corners, or it was not chilled sufficiently before baking
Fix: Cannot be fixed once fully baked, but patching cracks with leftover raw dough halfway through blind baking can save the shell
Prevention: Gently lift and press the dough into the tart pan without pulling it, and ensure it rests in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before hitting the hot oven
Filling is runny and fails to hold a clean slice
Cause: The tart was underbaked or sliced before it had completely cooled down
Fix: If still warm, return to the oven for 5-10 additional minutes; if completely cooled, chill in the refrigerator to firm up the custard
Prevention: Ensure oven temperature is accurate and allow a full 3 hours of cooling time at room temperature
Cultural Context
Pecan pie is a quintessential Southern American dessert with culinary roots tracing back to French and Native American traditions in New Orleans. This tart variation refines the classic pie into an elegant, thinner profile while incorporating the Northern American staple of maple syrup and Caribbean rum. The resulting fusion celebrates the historical culinary interplay of the Americas in a single autumnal dessert.
