As much as we love it, we’ve never made a pecan pie in our own kitchen until recently. Why not? We swore off corn syrup in any form years ago, and it’s the base of most pecan pie recipes. Our pecan tart features brown rice syrup, an ingredient easily found at natural foods stores, in its place. We also added a little bourbon to keep things interesting. The result is a delicious pecan flavor that’s not cloyingly sweet or overly gooey. This one is a keeper that’ll definitely find its way onto your holiday dessert table. Make your own crust and whipped cream for this tart, and maybe you’ll fall in love with pecan pie again too.
Basic Piecrust Dough (page 227)
2 cups unsalted pecans, toasted
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup firm packed light brown sugar
⅔ cup brown rice syrup
¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes
¼ cup soy or olive oil margarine
2 tablespoons bourbon
Easy Whipped Cream (to garnish) (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the piecrust dough and set it aside in the refrigerator. In a large bowl mix the pecans, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, brown rice syrup, salt, margarine, and bourbon until well incorporated. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to approximately 14 inches round. Press the dough into an 11-inch tart pan and press the edges into the scallops with your thumb. Dock the dough with a fork and par-bake it for 10 minutes. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth it with a rubber spatula. Return the tart to the oven for 30 minutes. Allow the tart to cool completely before serving. Serve with whipped cream.
Makes 1 tart that serves 6 to 8 people.
EASY WHIPPED CREAM
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large bowl whisk the cream vigorously until slightly stiff. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk to combine. Set the whipped cream aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Makes about 1 ½ cups.