Pecan pie is the classic American dessert. This recipe has crunchy pecan nuts enrobed in rich buttery caramel with hints of cinnamon and vanilla, all encased in a cream cheese pastry. Serve warm or cold with cream.
a 23-cm/9-in loose-based flan tin/pan, greased and lined
Makes 12 slices
To make the pastry, sift the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the ground almonds. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract and use your fingers to mix together to a soft dough, adding a little cold water if the mixture is too dry. Wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4. Put both the sugars, cinnamon, vanilla extract, butter, and both syrups in a saucepan and gently heat until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes before beating in the eggs. Strain the syrup mixture into a measuring jug – you should have about 600 ml/2⅓ cups of toffee syrup.
Bring the pastry to room temperature and break it into small pieces. Put the pieces in the prepared tin/pan and press out evenly with your fingertips, until the base is covered with a thin layer of pastry and there are no gaps. Trim away any excess pastry from around the top edge of the tin/pan. Fill the pastry case with the pecans and pour over 500 ml/2 cups of the syrup mixture so that the nuts are covered and the pastry case almost full. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–30 minutes, until the filling is set and the pastry golden brown. Gently reheat the remaining syrup and brush over the top of the tart whilst it is still warm using a pastry brush.
This tart will keep for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.