Thanksgiving week has passed, Winter is taking hold and my mind turns to those rib sticking recipes that fortify you through those dark, cold winter months and long, cold, wet and muddy dog walks.
As a Brit, the traditional family winter favorite is the treacle tart. But from my few years living in the States, I was converted to the Thanksgiving favorite, the humble but delicious Pecan Pie. A rich, sugary pie which gives a nod to our favorite treacle tart but filled with creamy pecans which caramelize and toast on top, giving a rich nutty flavor that is absolutely delicious.
Then I came across Nigella Lawson’s “Pecan Pie Plus” recipe, where she dares to change up the classic with a bag of Christmas mixed nuts. This got me thinking and in this recipe I decided on a mix of pecans, walnuts and macadamia nuts. All deliciously creamy but each with its own flavor that complement each other perfectly.
Whether you go traditional or mixed up, I like to serve it warm with a big dollop of cream or ice cream.
Makes: 1 x 23cm pie
Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)
Ingredients:
225g plain flour
150g butter, chilled
25g icing sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
150g golden syrup
100g soft butter
200g soft light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
350g pecans ( or 200g pecans, 100g walnuts, 50g macadamia nuts)
Instructions:
1.Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Or blitz in a food processor. Then mix in the icing sugar.
2.Add one egg and 2 tablespoons cold milk, and mix until it forms a dough. Try not to overwork the dough.
3.Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill for 15 minutes.
4.Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about the thickness of a pound coin.
5.Carefully transfer the pastry to a 23cm flan tin, line the tin with pastry and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
6.Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan.
7.Blind bake the pastry. Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans/rice and paper.
8. In a pan melt the syrup, butter, vanilla and brown sugar over a low heat until melted and everything is combined, leave to cool for about 10 minutes.
9. Fill the part baked pastry case with the nuts.
10.Whisk the eggs into the sugary syrup until fully combined, then pour it over the nuts.
11.Turn the oven down to 180C/160C Fan.
12.Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until the filling has set.
- 225g plain flour
- 150g butter, chilled
- 25g icing sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 150g golden syrup
- 100g soft butter
- 200g soft light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 350g pecans ( or 200g pecans, 100g walnuts, 50g macadamia nuts)
- Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Or blitz in a food processor. Then mix in the icing sugar.
- Add one egg and 2 tablespoons cold milk, and mix until it forms a dough. Try not to overwork the dough.
- Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill for 15 minutes.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about the thickness of a pound coin.
- Carefully transfer the pastry to a 23cm flan tin, line the tin with pastry and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan.
- Blind bake the pastry. Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans/rice and paper.
- In a pan melt the syrup, butter, vanilla and brown sugar over a low heat until melted and everything is combined, leave to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Fill the part baked pastry case with the nuts.
- Whisk the eggs into the sugary syrup until fully combined, then pour it over the nuts.
- Turn the oven down to 180C/160C Fan.
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until the filling has set.
Do not forget to Turn the oven down to 180C/160C Fan to cook the filling.