French-Style Maple Pecan Pie with Chocolate Chips
Description
This French-style pecan pie features a buttery shortcrust pastry filled with a sweet and nutty mixture of maple syrup, brown sugar, and pecans. The addition of chocolate chips adds a delightful richness, while the recipe balances sweetness to avoid being overly sugary. Perfect for dessert, it's baked in two stages to achieve a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Serve chilled or at room temperature for a delicious treat.
Ingredients
For the Pastry
- 250 grams T55 flour or plain/all-purpose flour
- 120 grams butter cold, cubed
- 30 grams sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 50 milliliters water cold
- 1 teaspoons salt
For the Filling
- 40 grams butter softened
- 55 grams brown sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 80 grams maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 90 grams pecan nuts crushed
- 50 grams chocolate chips
- 200 grams pecan nuts whole, for topping
Instructions
- Make the shortcrust pastry: Combine 250g T55 flour, 1 tsp salt, and 120g cold cubed butter, rubbing with fingertips until breadcrumb-like. Add 50ml cold water and 1 egg yolk, mix to form a ball, flatten, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Roll out the chilled dough to 3mm thickness and line an 18cm tart ring.
- Blind bake the pastry shell at 180°C (356°F) for 15 minutes until barely golden.
- For the filling, beat 40g softened butter with 55g brown sugar until combined. Add 1 pinch salt, then 80g maple syrup, followed by 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Fold in 90g crushed pecans and 50g chocolate chips.
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked tart shell and evenly arrange 200g whole pecans on top.
- Bake at 190°C (374°F) for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 165°C (329°F) and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Allow the tart to cool completely before slicing. Optionally, brush with a light simple syrup glaze for shine.
Notes
- Reduce sugar to taste if you prefer a less sweet pie; the original recipe used 55g brown sugar for a balanced sweetness.
- The baking temperature drop is crucial for a soft filling; do not skip lowering the oven temperature.
- Skipping the glaze keeps the pie from being overly sweet; for a shiny top, brush with simple syrup after baking.