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Maple Brown Butter Pecan Tart
This is a cheat's version of pecan pie with an easy NO-roll, press-in pie crust with the most incredible filling that is full of flavor and not just sweet. This Maple Brown Butter Pecan Tart is so rich and complex with nutty brown butter and savory maple syrup in the filling so it is balanced and absolutely addictive. Get ready to convert pecan pie haters with this recipe!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ¼ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (70g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoon (84g) soft unsalted butter
Filling:
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, browned
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (80ml) light corn syrup
- ¼ cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon (3g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (70g) chopped pecans
- 1 cup (100g) pecan halves for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch baking dish.
- Make the crust. Place flour, brown sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and whisk to blend and press out any lumps of brown sugar (or pulse in a food processor). Add soft butter and rub it in with your fingertips (or pulse in short bursts) until it resembles coarse crumbs. The butter should be well dispersed and there should be no dusty flour left in the bowl. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of water and blend with your fingertips until it holds together in clumps. It should look like damp crumbs or clusters that hold together when squeezed. Tip the crumbs into the baking dish and press them up the sides and evenly across the base. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and it feels dry and firm. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.
- Brown the butter. Place butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until melted. Increase heat and let it come to a boil while stirring. It will bubble and crackle as water evaporates. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the crackling noises fade and the bubbles subside. A dense golden foam will form at the surface as the last bit of water squeezes out and the color will progress from golden yellow to brown. This takes around 8-10 minutes. Once you smell that nutty aroma and begin to see little brown bits as you stir, take the pan off the heat and immediately pour the browned butter into a heatproof bowl to cool for 5 minutes.
- Make the filling. Combine eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, brown butter, vanilla, vinegar and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in flour, then stir in chopped pecans.
- Carefully pour the filling into the baked crust, then arrange pecan halves on top in concentric circles. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking tray and bake for 35-45 minutes until the filling puffs and the pastry is evenly browned. It will still jiggle just the slightest in the middle when it is ready. Do not over bake or the filling will become grainy once set. Cover with foil if the top is browning too fast. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. Pecan pie is not meant to be served warm so let it cool entirely.
