a tough nut to crack
‘Pecan’
by Patti Wilburn
My hard little shell
hides the tender meat inside
To the world a tough nut to crack
But on the inside, delicate-fragile
Take care when getting to the core
Crack my shell too forcefully
All the goodness will be crushed
Be gentle, peel the outer layer slowly
A treasure you will find
Pecan Pie
Tradition holds that the French invented pecan pie soon after settling in New Orleans, after being introduced to the nut by Native Americans. Attempts to trace the dish’s origin, however, have not found any recipes dated earlier than 1897, and well-known cookbooks such as Fannie Farmer and The Joy of Cooking did not include it before 1940.
The makers of Karo syrup popularized the dish and many of its recipes. Karo Syrup’s own website contends that the dish was a 1930s “discovery” of a “new use for corn syrup” by a corporate sales executive’s wife.
Well there you have it. Can not blame this one on the French. During my tenure in the US of A, a fell in love with this nut, practically as soon as I had tasted it for the first time. For a freshly baked Pastry Cook from Central Europe, who has never even heard of it …. it was love at first bite. And what intrigued me most, was that there where not many ways of using this ingredient. There was Pecan Pie, and that was it. A few uses in the kitchen here and a flavor there, … and it was expensive …..
So, the other day I found a bag of Pecans in the supermarket, and I had to have it. Best of all, it was the last bag on the shelf … I had to have it ….. even at that PRICE ….
And this is what became of it:
Pecan Tart
Ingredients for Crust:
50g icing sugar
100g salted butter at room temperature
3 pc egg yolk
zest of 1 lemon
150g flour
a few drops vanilla essence
Ingredients for Filling:
195g dark brown sugar
50g date molasses
75g honey
15g maple syrup
45g butter
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
4 pc eggs
450g shelled pecan nuts
150g good cooking chocolate
Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 190 C
Butter a 22 cm pie form and dust with flour
Chop half the pecans and set aside
Chop the chocolate and set aside
In a mixing bowl combine icing sugar, soft butter, and lemon zest
Mix until just combined
Add the egg yolk and mix briefly
Add the flour and mix slowly until combined
Take care not to over mix
Place in the refrigerator for half an hour
In a sauce pan combine the dark brown sugar, molasses, honey, maple syrup, butter, and zest
Bring to a boil
Boil for about a minute
Remove from the fire
In a bowl lightly beat the eggs
With a whisk mix the eggs into the sugar mixture
Do not stop stirring until fully incorporated
Roll the sugar dough just big enough to fit the pie mold
Spread the chopped chocolate and chopped pecans onto the pie crust
Pour the sugar mixture over it and make sure it is distributed evenly
The remaining pecans you set on top in decorative manner
Set in the oven at the middle grill and cook for about 35 min, or until center of tart feel spongy
Let cool in the mold for about half hour
Remove from mold and set onto serving platter
Serve with vanilla ice cream, or just as it is
