Featured Recipe
Maple Pecan Tart
By Kate
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A nutty tart with crisp pastry, rich filling. Pâte brisée with a blend of butter and coconut oil, for flakiness plus subtle coconut aroma. Filling swaps corn syrup for maple syrup, adding complexity. Lightly toasted pecans for deeper nuttiness. Baking cues include golden bubbling filling, wedge firmness. Cool slowly to set. Classic tart technique meets modern tweaks for texture and flavor balance.
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Prep:
35 min
Cook:
Total:
Serves:
8 servings
dessert
tart
pecans
maple
baking
Introduction
Cold fats, quick pulses. That’s how to flaky pâte brisée. Butter plus coconut oil; subtle tropical hint, different melt but same flake factor. Water needs to be icy, or dough gets gummy. Roll crisp, not warping. Fill with eggs, maple syrup—not your usual corn syrup—adds richness, less cloying. Brown sugar cuts sweetness, adds depth. Pecans toasted first—skip that, you miss aroma hitting hot pan. Listen to that soft bubbling in oven. Golden crust edges, filling tight but with wiggle under finger. Cool fully or it’s runny mess when sliced. Patience here pays off. Don’t fret about minutes exactly; watch dough, filling. Snap, crackle of pecans under teeth. There you go.
Ingredients
Crust
- 185 g (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 40 g (3 tbsp) powdered sugar
- 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
- 115 g (7 tbsp + 1 tsp) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) cold coconut oil, diced
- 50 to 70 ml (3 1/3 to 4 2/3 tbsp) ice water
- 4 large eggs
- 150 g (3/4 cup) light brown sugar
- 200 ml (3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp) pure maple syrup
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- 120 g (1 cup) pecan halves, toasted lightly
Filling
About the ingredients
Flour measured by weight for consistency. Powdered sugar in dough aids tenderness, but granulated can work if sugar grain isn’t an issue. Butter always cold; coconut oil same. If coconut unavailable, use all butter but expect slightly different mouthfeel. Water must be ice cold to prevent gluten overdevelopment. Maple syrup replaces corn syrup — expect richer, slightly less viscosity so watch filling for run-off. Toast nuts beforehand for aroma and crunch; raw pecans yield muted flavor and softer texture. Butter in filling melted to disperse fats evenly; don’t overheat or scramble eggs when mixing. Vanilla extract standard; can add bourbon or almond extract for extra twist.
Method
Crust
- 1. Pulse flour, powdered sugar, salt in food processor to combine. Add butter and coconut oil chilled, pulse quickly just until pea-sized crumbs form. Overmixing warms fats, tough crust; keep chill and few pulses only.
- 2. Drizzle 50 ml iced water while pulsing. Check dough starts clumping when pinched. Add extra water 1 tsp at a time if too dry. Press dough in bowl to form two discs; wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate minimum 50 minutes, not longer than 2 hours for best pliability.
- 3. Lightly flour work surface. Roll one disc evenly to about 3 mm thickness. Fit into 20 cm (8 inch) tart pan with removable bottom. Press into corners, trim excess with bench knife or rolling pin edge. Chill crust-lined pan while preparing filling. Freeze second disc for another use, or crumble for pie topping.
- 4. Place rack low in oven, preheat to 175 °C (350 °F).
- 5. Toast pecans in dry skillet over medium heat 3-5 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and slightly golden. Set aside to cool.
- 6. In medium bowl, whisk eggs briskly until just blended. Add brown sugar, maple syrup, melted butter, vanilla. Whisk until mixture thickens slightly, ribbons form when beaten. Avoid overbeating to cut air bubbles which cause cracking and uneven bake.
- 7. Pour filling evenly into prepared crust. Scatter toasted pecans atop gently pressing some into filling, some left whole for texture contrast.
- 8. Bake at 175 °C for about 60-65 minutes. Edges puff and turn golden brown, center jiggles minimally but settles when nudged. If edges brown too much early, shield with foil tent. Do not rely solely on time; visual cues critical. The sweet–gooey filling should bubble softly but not boil aggressively or spill.
- 9. Remove tart, cool completely on wire rack (about 40 minutes) before slicing. Filling firms as it cools; slicing hot will ruin structure. Serve at room temperature. Store leftover chilled, bring to room temp before serving.
- Keep fats cold until incorporation. Use coconut oil for subtle coconut notes and different melt profile. Powdered sugar in crust adds tenderness but can be replaced by granulated sugar for more structure.
- Maple syrup replaces corn syrup, giving deeper maple essence but can cause slightly different caramelization; monitor baking closely. Toasting pecans pre-bake releases oils, enhances crunch and aroma.
- If crust shrinks, dock dough surface lightly or chill longer before baking. Avoid overworking dough to prevent toughness. If filling cracks, reduce whisking speed, avoid air incorporation.
- Can blind bake crust 10 minutes then cool before filling for crisper shell if very moist pecans or filling preferred.
Filling
Tips & Troubleshooting
Technique Tips
Efficient work means getting dough chilled while gathering filling ingredients. Pulsing fats fast, never letting temperature rise, yields flakiness—not toughness. Roll dough evenly, trim edges accurately for uniform bake. Filling needs whisking just until combined to avoid over aeration—air bubbles cause cracks later. Toast pecans visually golden, aromatic, not burnt; burnt flavor wrecks balance. Bake in lower rack to protect base crust from burning, trap moisture in filling. Watch bubbling: soft rise and gentle simmer signals setting; if overly violent, filling might collapse. Cool fully on rack to firm filling prior to slicing—hot slices run apart. Use foil tenting mid-bake if edges brown prematurely. Keep extra dough refrigerated or frozen for future, no waste. Key: watch dough tactile firmness, filling jiggle over strict time.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Cold fats matter. Keep butter and coconut oil chilled until mixing. If they warm, dough toughens. Pulse just until combined, pea-sized bits. Water must be ice cold. Rolling matters: aim for 3 mm thickness. Watch it closely; you want crisp edges but no warping.
- 💡 Pecans need toasty love. If skipped, miss the aroma. Toast them till golden, 3-5 minutes max. Not burnt. You’ll lose flavor balance. When mixing filling, whisk eggs briskly but don’t overbeat. Avoiding air bubbles helps prevent cracking while baking. Visual cues are critical.
- 💡 Check filling cues carefully. Should bubble gently but not boil violently, too much can lead to runny filling. Edges may brown quickly; tent with foil if they do. Cooling matters—filling firms up as it cools. No cutting when hot unless a mess is fine.
- 💡 Use powdered sugar in the crust for tenderness. But if granulated’s on hand, that works too. Watch thickness while rolling, aim for accuracy. If dough shrinks, dock it lightly before chilling. More chill means less shrink.
- 💡 Store leftovers properly. Chilled in the fridge for a few days, but bring to room temp before serving. For dough, refrigerate or freeze extras. No waste. Allows for quick desserts in the future. Versatility in the kitchen keeps you prepped.
