Thursday 28 November is Thanksgiving Day in the USA; if you rustle up this classic all-American pie to celebrate the occasion, your friends will definitely thank you for it! You can, if you wish, use all 300g of the whole pecan nuts to arrange in a concentric circle on the top of the pie but to me, chunks of nuts held within that rich, sweet, indulgent filling adds to the Pecan Pie party.
Ingredients (serves 8-10)
500g pack ready made, all-butter shortcrust pastry
75g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
175g maple syrup
175g golden syrup
3 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
300g pecan nuts
To serve: lightly whipped double cream or vanilla ice cream
Method
1. Roll the pastry out on a lightly-floured surface and use it to line a 23cm tart case. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 190c/gas mark 5. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans (or uncooked rice) and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans (or rice) and greaseproof paper and return the pastry case to the oven for around 10 minutes, or until the base has set and the pastry is lightly golden in colour.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy then add both the maple and golden syrups to the bowl. Beat again, then gradually add the eggs, the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt and whisk until combined.
4. Chop 200g of the pecan nuts, add them to the pie filling and stir well to thoroughly distribute them throughout the mixture (or see note above). Pour the mixture into the tart case and arrange the remaining pecans in a circle around the edge.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 160c/gas mark 3 and continue to bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top of the pie is golden brown and the filling is still a little bit wobbly in the centre.
6. Leave the pie to cool on a rack before removing from the tin and serving with lashings of whipped double cream or vanilla ice cream.