Florence Fabricant's Cider-Pecan Tart

I think it's time to admit a simple truth to myself. I'm just not that into pecan pie. Either that, or I keep picking the wrong recipes. Sigh.

Okay, I went the lazy route. I chose a recipe in which you don't even need to dirty a bowl. Come on! Wouldn't you have done the same? Plus it had apple cider and brandy in it, two things that always make my ears perk up.

It looked quite pretty and the people eating it were polite enough - no leftovers, you know - but I couldn't help but find it too squishy, too sweet and altogether rather insipid. You know something isn't right when you'd rather just eat a plate of whipped cream. Mmmm.

Cider Pecan Tart
Serves 8

2 1/2 cups fresh apple cider
4 tablespoons soft butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Calvados, bourbon or brandy
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Pastry for 8- or 9-inch tart or pie
1 1/2 cups pecan halves, lightly toasted
1 cup heavy cream, whipped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the cider in a saucepan and cook over high heat until reduced to 1 cup. Remove from heat and stir in butter and brown sugar until dissolved. Then stir in spirits, vanilla, nutmeg and eggs.

2. Roll out pastry and line straight-sided tart pan with it. Pie pan can be used, too. Spread pecans over pastry.

3. Pour in cider mixture. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until surface is fairly firm and pastry is golden. Allow to cool to room temperature. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Comments

[Victoria]

I'm with you on this one.

I always find pecan pie too sweet and cloying. Even loaded with softly whipped cream, I can't stand it.

Maybe you should just give up on it. There's always butter pecan ice cream.

[Sophie]

This pecan pie looks so stunning! MMMM....

[maggie (p&c)]

Aw, too bad. I didn't grow up with pecan pie so it always seems a little excessively sweet to me, but this one LOOKS gorgeous. Thanks for warning us.

[Dana McCauley]

Here in Canada, our national obsession is buttertarts. They are quite similar to pecan tarts but gooier and sweeter - in other words, I don't think you'd like them very much!

However, if you decide to test my assumption, you can try my recipe. Many people have called it the best buttertart recipe ever!

http://danamccauley.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/best-butter-tart-quest-part-three/

[meleyna]

You know, I don't think I've ever even had a piece of pecan pie. Whenever it's an option, there always seems to be a much tastier one I'm more interested it.

[Robin]

In the past when I have made a pecan pie the only part I have enjoyed is the pecans, peeled off the top with just a little bit of the sweet filling. The pie taken as a whole is too sweet and cloying for me.

-Robin

[Arlene]

If it was something you didn't care for, why on earth would you post it for other people to make?

[Adrienne]

I like pecans. I think they're great! But I don't loooove pecan pie either. My boyfriend, on the other hand, is quite a fan. Maybe I'll give this one a try and give him a thrill. I do like that there's no corn syrup...

[radish]

While I love pecans, I never liked pecan tarts or pies, so I hear you on that. I don't know if maybe I just haven't found the right recipe or what. The tart, however, looks really pretty!

[Dana]

I have never liked pecan pie either. I made the one from the Baked cookbook for Thanksgiving because it had chocolate in it and I still didn't like it.

[Alejandra]

That's too bad that the recipe didn't work out. The combination with cider in it sounds lovely. I usually only like the crust of the pecan pie; I tend to leave the gloopy filling out, although I've had luck making it in a shallow tart pan and halving the filling amount. It's not as cloying that way.

[Luisa]

Arlene - because that's what I do on my blog: write about recipes published in the newspapers that I've made, whether I liked the results or not.

[genia]

no need for you to love pecan pie; i'll love pecan pie on your behalf. this one looks great.

[Angry Brit]

I don't care much for pecans or for pecan pie. I don't know if it's because I didn't grow up with them, or if it's just because they don't appeal to me. I wish I could like them- they look so pretty. We have a similarly sweet dessert in England known as Treacle Tart. At least your pecan pie adds nuts to the sugar overload!!

[Zoomie]

I'm with you - too sweet by half! I once had a pecan pie that was all pecans and just enough goopy filling to stick the pecans together so it was about half as deep and far less sweet and therefore more delicious in my opinion. If you ever clip a recipe like that, please let us know! BTW, just so you know, I really enjoy reading your blog.

[laura]

I think it's a southern thing. I get up in the south & everyone I knew loooved pecan pies (including me), but that's pretty much where the line seems to be drawn.

[chelsea]

While, I'm sure you'll get a lot of recipe links for great pecan pies after this post, I couldn't resist sending you this one:
http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2007/11/chocolatepecanpie

I too find pecan pie waaaaaay too sweet 9 times out of 10, but this past Christmas I made a meal that seemed to beg for a pecan pie ending. After some serious searching I settled on the above recipe from Gourmet magazine. It was just right - the bittersweet chocolate actually counter-balanced that overly-sweet pecan filling. Hooray for chocolate - it can even save pecan pie ;)

Love your blog, by the way!

[Rose-Anne]

Wow, that picture really tricked me! I was almost drooling until I started reading your humble confession. I love your honesty about recipes! The only question is this: why have I not cooked more stuff from your blog? Why, why, why?!?

As an aside, pecans are really delicious in granola, a food that's best with just a hint of sweetness, like a little maple syrup. The buttery flavor of pecans makes granola taste downright decadent!

[Bobbie]

Well, I did grow up with pecan pie (in the very deep south) and just reading your recipe made me a little sad.... I knew it would not turn out for you.

Here is the recipe my Aunt used, who was famous for her pecan pie.(you can also add some choc. chips).

Also- only eat a small slice.... and skip the whipped cream. It is too sweet otherwise.

Pecan Pie
INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place pie shell in a 9 inch pie pan.
In a medium bowl, gently beat eggs. Stir in sugar and flour, then the syrup, butter and vanilla. Fold in pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; knife inserted in center of pie should come out clean.

[Linda]

The pecan pie recipe from Tartine (Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson) was really good. It used maple syrup and kumquats (I used orange zest) which made it so fragrant.

However, I did end up using twice as many nuts as the recipe called for and baked the pie in a couple tart shells instead. The tarts ended up quit shallow, really crispy, with a hint of orange zest and the right sweetness level. Also, not very gooey.

[dr]

I agree about the bittersweet chocolate making all the difference. I've used a different recipe, but the chocolate cuts the otherwise overly cloying filling . ..

[Adina]

I like pecan pie, and this last weekend I made one using the filling from this recipe from Food & Wine: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chocolate-pecan-pie-with-bourbon

It was pretty good, but I think 3 eggs was too many--the filling is a bit squishier at the bottom than I like. I'm going to try using only 2 eggs next time. Also, I think the texture was a bit improved the day after I made it.

[gemma]

Seriously Luisa must have been under the influence writing this.... it was DELICIOUS. It was GOBBLED up by EVERYONE at the table. The funny thing is that she made it for Seb's birthday (and he actually doesn't like pecan pie). He tried it with trepidation and his comment afterwards.... "I REALLY LOVED IT" and he went back for more. She CONVERTED him to like pecan pie. so please everyone, in this one tiny teeny instance.... just trust me.... you might like this!!
MY goodness I can't believe I am disagreeing with Luisa!! Different taste buds!

[Kathie]

I LOVE pecan pies. I have a dozen recipe variants. I have never liked chocolate, so I don`t have any with chocolate mixed in with the pecans or the filling. However, that is pretty much the only exception to my pecan pie recipe collection. But pecan pie is one of my favorite things to eat in the world.

[Treehouse Chef]

I love pecan pie and this recipe looks delicious!

[catherine at unconfidentialcook.com]

I totally agree...but I did have a pecan pie once that had been de-sweetened with unsweetened chocolate, and that was quite good!

[Leah]

I would almost always rather have a plate of whipped cream.

[Cate]

i find that the thing about pecan pie is that, served out of its usual thanksgiving season, it feels a little weird. like too sweet and cloying weird. weird like we should really be enjoying a different dessert, and where's the turkey anyway. weird like i don't even want to go there.

however, when it comes time for pecan pie again, i can joyously recommend scott peacock's recipe. the man knows his pies.

otherwise, i turn to chess pie.

[Mail Order Foods]

looks great! find more delicious tarts, pies and cakes, plus lots of other gourmet food :

http://www.foodsoftheweb.com

[thecatskillkiwi]

Wow sure looks good though, shame about the taste!

[Stefanie]

Hi - I feel the same way, just never liked pecan pie all that much. Would really rather have a coffee with a huge mound of whipped cream on top! :)

[the purcells]

i totally agree - never been a lover of pecan pie. although this one does look quite good!

[Shannon]

Pecan tart: pecans, shortbread crust, but you lose that gooey, overwhelming layer of weirdness taht comes with pecan pie.

[sara coyne]

Poor pecan pie. So rich and powerful, and yet, so misunderstood.

I make one every November, with heavenly roasted pecans and devilish bourbon. It's all about the bourbon. Cuts some of the sweetness.

I'm a big fan of your blog, and of your honest writing. Thank you!

[E.J.]

Perhaps you just don't like pecan pie. Not all of us Southerners like it, because any way you make it, whatever else you add, it's just too sweet. I put a layer of toasted pecans at the bottom of my pumpkin or sweet potato pie, and that's truly luscious.

[Christine]

I think the best recipe has to be from John Thorne. He has a chapter on it in his book,Outlaw Cook. His uses Lyles Golden Syrup..

[Laura]

Hmmm...growing up I didn't really like pecan pie, just the crusty nuts on top, that I'd peel off, much to my mother's distress. But now that I'm a bit older, I really do like the whole pie. Except--my recipe is pretty simple (like the one Bobbie posted) and I am opposed to embellishments. Even something as small as chopping the pecans instead of leaving them whole--it messes up the ratio of pecan surface area touched by the filling. :)

[Bonnie]

I also find Pecan Pie to be a little too cloying, but about 18 years ago I found true love: Pumpkin-Pecan Pie. Essentially you spoon pumpkin pie filling into the bottom of your crust and then carefully spoon pecan pie filling on top. When it is baked it looks like a standard pecan pie, but with a surprise inside! The pumpkin stuff is made with sour cream instead of evaporated milk, so it's creamy but not too sweet, and the pecan pie filling has lemon zest in it, which also cuts the sweetness. It has been a required dessert at every Thanksgiving since 1990! As a plus, it also solves the dilemma of which slice of pie to have on Turkey Day - two for one! It is not currently on my blog, but if you want the recipe let me know. xo

[Caroline]

Samesies. Ditto. Thumbs sideways with a tilt slightly downward on Pecan Pie.

[emilou]

Luisa- i am delurking after 2 years of reading your blog to offer this advice- add a cup of finely ground pecan to your filling before backing- it changes the texture and taste- nuttier, chewier, less sweet. AND (this falls more in line with derby pie) add 1/2 cup of bourbon. My family (new englanders!) loves this pie.

[deena]

i tried this recipe a few years ago, and was pretty disappointed -- i didn't mind the sticky sweetness, which is somewhat expected in pecan pie, but i thought the cider gave it a really unpleasant sour taste that didn't work well at all. maybe i used a particularly tangy cider...

[Sean]

I was going to post the chocolate pecan pie that Chelsea recommended from gourmet/epicurious. The bittersweet chocolate in that recipe is the perfect counterpoint to the typically overly sweet pecan pie, which even I, as a an avowed dessert lover can usually only eat by the sliver!

[Shobha]

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[Richard]

You whipped up a pretty perfect looking one for someone who isn't a fan.
Love the blog.
Can I put you on my blogroll?
Richard

[nonpartisan]

Heh, that's my secret recipe, I've still got the clipping from the New York Times. Made it last Thanksgiving and had the whole room on their knees. This is so easy, and so good.