Pecan Pie Tart (with bourbon and brown butter)
Rich, buttery and crunchy, this is a twist on the traditional pecan pie recipe and a delicious option for the holiday season when you want a more sophisticated dessert at Thanksgiving dinner or other special occasions. The gooey filling comes together in 10 minutes and has brown butter.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the tart dough:
- 4 or 5 ice cubes
- 1 cup water
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
For the pecan filling:
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 ¼ cups pecan halves
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
For the tart dough:
- Put 4 or 5 ice cubes in a measuring cup and fill with 1 cup water. Stir a little and reserve.
- In the bowl of a food processor, put 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon saltand 2 teaspoons sugar.
- Add ½ cup unsalted butter and pulse using on/off until the butter is the size of peas. Add half the amount of ice water and pulse a few times. Add ¼ cup more ice water and pulse until it barely comes together. Check the dough. Even though it might look crumbly, it should come together if you take some and squeeze it with your hand. If it doesn't come together, add a few more teaspoons of ice water.
- By hand, place 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons sugar in a large bowl. Add ½ cup unsalted butter and work with your hands or a pastry cutter until you have butter pieces the size of peas. Add the water and stir with a fork. It will be floury. It should come together if you take some and squeeze it with your hand. If it doesn't come together, add a few more teaspoons of ice water.
- Transfer the shaggy mass to a barely floured surface and gather it together into a ball. Don't overwork it, or the dough will be tough. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Have ready a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and a rolling pin.
- When you're ready to use it, roll it on a lightly floured surface, starting from the middle and making sure the size is at least 1 inch larger than the pan you're using. Watch this video for rolling pie crust if you need guidance.
- Carefully place the pie dough round in the ungreased pie pan. Let it fill the pan without stretching it. Trim edges, prick the surface and refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for half an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- To blind bake the tart crust: Place a large piece of aluminum foil covering the dough surface, add weight (pie weights, dried beans, rice or flour), and bake for about 15 minutes. Lift the foil with the weight and continue baking for 8-10 more minutes or until it's dry and barely starting to color. Here's a more comprehensive guide to blind bake pie crust.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
For the filling:
- To make brown butter: Place 10 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt and continue cooking it. It will make loud chirping noises at first, but suddenly it will stop. That's when it will brown very quickly, so watch it.
- When it's a deep amber color with a nutty aroma, remove it from the heat and let the bubbles subside. The browned bits will go to the bottom. Transfer it to a shallow bowl and let the butter cool down a little.
- Put 3 eggs, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup white sugar, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 3 tablespoons bourbon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a medium bowl.
- Add the browned butter, leaving sediments behind in the saucepan. Do this a bit at a time, mixing constantly.
- Place 1 ¼ cups pecan halves on the bottom of the pre-baked pie shell. Carefully add the butter mixture. I like to put the liquid in a measuring cup, put the pie in the oven, and carefully add the liquid. That way, I can fill it to the top without moving it.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Don't overbake the filling; it should still be slightly jiggly (but not too wobbly) when you take it out, and the pecans should not be burned. It will firm up as it cools. Cool on a wire rack.
- Remove from the pan and serve with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
- Keep leftovers at room temperature for no more than 2 days, covered. You can then refrigerate them, covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container to prevent dryness, but I recommend eating this tart the day it's made, or the next one at the most if possible.
Notes
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Bourbon: I find that good bourbons give a deeper, better flavor. But use any bourbon or whisky you like or have.
Variation: Walnuts can be used instead of pecans, and orange zest is a nice addition if you want a citrus tone.
Mini pecan pies: Use muffin tins and make individual pies. It's laborious to make the individual pie shells and blind bake them; just a heads-up.
