Ingredients

Shortcrust Pastry for Tart Shell
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/2 tbsp warm milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
Pecan Filling
• 2 cups pecan halves
• (toasted in a 300 F for 15 minutes, reserve about 12 pieces to decorate the top, roughly chop the rest)
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp dark maple syrup
• 1 tbsp Bourbon (optional)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extact
• 2 eggs

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter with a paddle attachment at low speed. Beat in warm milk and egg yolk. Add in sugar and salt, beat until smooth.
2. Lastly, mix in flour to form soft dough. Avoid over-mixing. Form dough into a disk and wrap in plastic, chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes before rolling.
3. Preheat oven to 325 F.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12 circle, line dough onto a 9 inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom. Dock the bottom with a fork. Rest the shell in the fridge until firm. If you wish, roll together the scraps of pastry dough and cut out leaf shapes to decorate the top of the tart, set aside until ready to assemble.
5. In the meanwhile, prepare the pecan filling. In a small saucepan with medium heat, cook together the butter, sugar and maple syrup for about 3-4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved (do not boil the mixture). Take the pot off the heat; add in the Bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract, stir until combined. Lastly whisk in the eggs, the mixture should be cohesive before using.
Assembly:
6. Take out prepared tart shell, place in the chopped nuts, slowly pour in the syrup. Make sure the syrup covers the nuts. Lastly, garnish the top of the tart with the reserved pecans and leaf cut-outs. Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet, bake in preheated oven for about 50 minutes, turning pan halfway through, until the edge of the tart turns slightly golden and centre is set. Cool completely before serving.