Frozen Pecan Tart

Ah, sweet multi-tasking how I love thee....most of the time....but I think it failed me today, or maybe I failed.. in spite of it all, my Pecan Tart tastes absolutely divine!  We've just completed our 5th week of baking from the Baking Bible and as always, Rose provides clear and precise instructions each step of the way.

Pecan Pie is my absolute favorite pie in the world.  It started with Little Debbie pies as a kid (uh huh, don't do the math on my age, but remember those in the 70's and 80's?)  Thanks to Debbie, pecan pie is the first thing I look for in a bakery.  So when this little gem came up early in the cue, I was thrilled!

Being a pecan pie purist, I chose to forego the chocolate topping at the end, but did add a generous amount of Whiskey (4tsp).  ;)  Topped with some fresh whipped cream, you'll find it hard to control yourself and not have seconds, or maybe thirds..sigh.....I need to join the masses and make a New Years resolution  to avoid 2nds and 3rd of everything we're baking!!  It's about moderation, not elimination, Right??!  :)

The beauty of this Tart is that it has such a rich flavor, without the overwhelmingly sweet filling that causes so many people to turn their back on pecan pie.  Thank you golden syrup and Rose.  :)

The instructions for this tart are quite easy, even if they are several pages long.  But don't be fooled, you must pay attention to the cook time of both the crust and the filling.  Both of mine are little darker than I would have preferred and the filling slightly thicker from cooking it on the stovetop too long.  Thank goodness the flavor didn't suffer from my lack of attention!!

Instead of the traditional pie crust, Rose has a beautiful Pate' Sucree recipe that suits this tart perfectly.

Being careful not to over mix, put the crumbly dough in a bag and work the dough till it's mixed.

Roll it out to about 1/8" thickness.  I like to use "do stix" to ensure proper thickness.

Rose recommends using plastic wrap, but I prefer to use parchment sheets for rolling out the dough.  I buy a box of sheets from the restaurant supply store, which usually lasts me about a year.  It's totally worth the 40 bucks!

Flip the dough over a cake pan, or a pie pan in my case...my cake pans are still packed in a sea of boxes.

Once in the pan, be sure all sides are trimmed and not over the top, otherwise you could have problems with the crust sticking later.  Now, pre-bake the crust.

Cook the filling

Pour in the pan

Voila'!  You've got a delicious tart!!!

Put it in the freezer.  Make some fresh whipped cream with whipping cream and powdered sugar to taste while you wait (I usually use 2tsp/1 cup of cream).  Whisk it up with your mixer and you'll be going back for more like me!

Now back to the dreadful task of pulling 20 year old wallpaper off my walls.  Complete kitchen and dining room demo starts in 2- 3 weeks!  It's going to be painful, but so worth having a kitchen actually designed for a baker.