Pecan pie

Ingredients

• sweet shortcrust pastry 300g
• salted butter 100g, softened
• light brown muscovado sugar 100g
• eggs 3
• golden syrup 150ml
• vanilla extract 1 tsp
• pecans 300g, 200g chopped and 100g left whole
• sea salt flakes 1/4 tsp
• vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche, to serve

Method

• Step 1

  Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a 20p coin and line a 23cm x 4cm deep round tart tin, then trim, leaving a 2cm overhang. Prick the base all over with a fork and chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Line the pastry shell with baking paper and fill with baking beans.

  Step 2

  Bake for 10 minutes then remove the paper and beans and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the shell looks biscuity and there are no raw patches of pastry.

  Step 3

  To make the filling, use electric beaters to whisk together the butter and sugar for a few minutes until a little paler in colour. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the golden syrup, vanilla and chopped pecans. Pour into the pastry case and arrange the whole pecans on top in a single layer. Sprinkle over the sea salt flakes.

  Step 4

  Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and cook for another 35 minutes until risen and just set. Cool to just warm and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.

Nutritional data

• kcals 538
• fat 40.7g
• saturates 11g
• carbs 33.9g
• sugars 22.8g
• fibre 3.9g
• protein 6.8g
• salt 0.6g