Prep time:

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Total time:

Serves: 8

1 pack ready rolled shortcrust pastry (sweetcrust if you prefer), or make you own

100g melted butter

120g light brown sugar

3 large eggs

2tbsp plain flour

180ml golden syrup

1tsp vanilla essence

½tsp tsp sea salt

400g 400g pecan nuts – 300g chopped, 100g whole halves

1tbsp extra syrup to pour over for a glossy finish

preheated oven – 180°C for blind baking and 160°C for the pie

You will need: a 24cm loose bottomed tart tin, lightly greased

For those not wedded to tradition (we are a little early for Thanksgiving), Pecan pie has to be one of the most glorious, yet simple to make desserts at any time of the year. This one is not too sickly sweet, of course it’s full of calories, but it’s packed with nutritious pecans too. Oh go on then, just one small slice.

  1. Lay the pastry over the tin and gently press in to shape, leaving an overlap. Line with baking parchment and baking beans (or dried peas, basically something to stop the pastry bubbling up). Bake blind for 5 minutes – this will ensure that the pastry stays crisp. I added a small tray of pastry stars to the oven at this point (cut using a pastry shape cutter and baked for about 10 mins), made from the excess pastry on the roll, but this is optional.
  2. Add sugar, butter and eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk together, then add the rest of the ingredients, leaving the whole pecans to one side.
  3. Trim the pastry to neaten the edge, then pour in the pecan mixture. Arrange the whole pecans on top of the pie and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Glaze with a little extra golden syrup and add the stars, if using. Serve cool with crème fraîche, cream or ice cream.


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