Pecan Delight



PECAN TART

           Pecan pie is a favorite dessert served during the Christmas holidays but it’s also enjoyed by many all-year round. I recently created small pecan tarts for a customer whose father loves pecan pie but can’t eat it they way he used to – all the time.

            Pecan pie is primarily made of corn syrup or molasses and pecan nuts, and considered a specialty dish of southern cuisine in the United States. Many pecan pie recipes use salt and vanilla for flavoring but a wide variety of recipes include chocolate, bourbon and whipped cream.

            Who actually invented the pecan pie is unknown but traditional cooks say the French invented the recipe when settling in New Orleans after the Native Americans introduced them to the pecan. The earliest pecan pie recipe that could be found in a cookbook is 1897 and it wasn’t until the 1940s when the pecan pie recipe could be found in traditional cookbooks like “Fannie Farmer” and “The Joy of Cooking.”

            Commercially, the pecan pie recipe became very popular when Karo Syrup used it to help market its syrup.

            Pecans and dessert go hand-in-hand, but from a more nutritional perspective a handful a day can help to protect the nervous system. Also, the antioxidants in the nut can help one live a more healthier lifestyle for those striving for good heart health and disease prevention.

            All-in-all the pecan pie can help life one’s moral and it taste good too. My customer’s father loved the tarts and you will too. Just follow any pecan pie recipe but instead of using a pie plate use a min muffin tin and create many pecan tarts. It’s a little extra work but creates a lot of extra love and cuts down on the calories. Enjoy!!!

Pecan Pie

Ingredients

Crust:
1 ¼ cup flour
1 tbsp. cornmeal
½ cup butter, cut in cubes
½ tsp. salt
3-4 tbsp. water
4-5 tbsp. extra flour

Place flour, cornmeal, butter and salt in a food processor.  Mix for about 1-2 minutes, until a sand-like mixture forms.  Slowly add water until the mix forms a ball of dough.  Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for half an hour.
Preheat oven to 375°.  Roll dough into an 11-inch round on a floured surface.  Place dough into a 9-inch pie tin.  Use your fingers to have the dough fit firmly into the pan.  Use either a fork or your fingers to make a decorative edge.  Prick dough with a fork and line the dough-filled pie pan with aluminum foil.
Fill the lined pan with dried bean or pie weights.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, then remove foil and beans/pie weights and bake uncovered for another 8-10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Filling:
1 ¼ cup of pecans
1 cup dark corn syrup
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
Mix all of the above ingredients together with a whisk until well blended.  Add 1 ¼ cups of pecans. 
Place filling into baked pie crust.  Place in the oven for 1 hour.  Remove and cool completely before serving.  Add a dollop of whipped cream is desired.  Serves 6-8.
Courtesy of the National Pecan Shellers Association who obtained the recipe from The Smith College Club of New York City’s More Cooking with Pecans