Pecan Pie

Oven 180C then 150C

To make the pastry:

Put the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs.  Add the salt and mix in, now add the egg yolk mixed in with the water and mix into the flour to form a dough.  Knead a little then wrap in cling wrap and put into the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Roll the pastry out on a floured surface to a circle big enough to line a 20 cm flan tin.  Line the buttered tin then carefully fold the pastry circle into the flan tin making sure you get the pastry into the sides and leave about 5 mm of pastry above the top of the tin.  Put into the fridge for 30 minutes until well rested.  Remove from the fridge, take a large piece of greaseproof paper and crunch it up, prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork, now put in the paper.  Make sure it goes into the edges then fill with beans or rice to the top.  Blind bake in the oven for 20 minutes then remove the rice and paper then put back into the oven for a further 5 minutes and remove from the oven.

To make the filling :

Crush 175g of the pecan nuts.  In a bowl whisk the eggs, add the maple syrup, vanilla extract and melted butter and brown sugar.  Mix well.  Then when the flan pastry is ready cover with the crushed nuts now pour over the mixture.  Put into the oven and cook for 40 minutes at 180C, turning down after 30 minutes to 150C for the final 10 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Add the rest of the whole pecan nuts over the top to make a pretty pattern.  Now leave to completely cool.

Serve with whipped cream with rum.