Best Pecan Tart Recipes

CHOCOLATE, PECAN, AND CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend crackers and 2 tablespoons sugar in processor until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter; process until moist clumps form. Press mixture firmly over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake crust until golden and firm, about 7 minutes. Cool completely on rack.
• Stir bittersweet chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate into tart crust. Using small metal spatula, spread over bottom of crust. Arrange 1 1/2 cups pecans in single layer over chocolate.
• Mix 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high; boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 3/4 cup cream and 2 tablespoons butter (mixture will bubble vigorously). Set over low heat; stir until caramel is smooth, about 1 minute. Pour over pecans atop chocolate in crust. Chill until set, about 45 minutes. Stir milk chocolate and 1/4 cup cream in heavy saucepan over low heat until smooth. Pour over caramel; spread evenly. Arrange 1/2 cup pecans around edge of tart. Chill at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL PECAN TART

Steps:

• Crust: Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Beat butter with confectioners' sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined and crumbly (do not overmix). Pat dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days, or freeze up to 1 month.
• On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. With a paring knife, trim dough flush with rim; refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes.
• Blind-bake crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick bottom of tart all over with a fork. Bake until set and dough is dry, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Filling: Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring gently, until sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, occasionally washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Cook until syrup is amber in color, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Carefully add heavy cream (caramel will steam and spatter). Add butter, vanilla, salt, and chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Add pecans; stir until combined. Transfer mixture to tart crust. Let stand until set and cool, about 2 hours. Tart can be served room-temperature or refrigerated, uncovered, up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes and sprinkle with flaky salt before serving.

CHOCOLATE-PECAN TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pie dough to a 12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Wrap dough around rolling pin, and unwrap over a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough into bottom and up sides of pan; trim edge of dough.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, light corn syrup, 4 teaspoons melted butter, and the vanilla. Scatter chocolate evenly over tart shell. Pour filling over chocolate. Arrange pecans on top, as desired. Dot with 2 teaspoons chilled butter.
• Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling is set, 45 to 60 minutes. If pecans are browning too quickly, tent pan with foil. Remove from oven; while still hot, drizzle with bourbon, if desired. Let tart cool completely before serving.

CHOCOLATE & PECAN TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 20cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Fill the tart with baking paper and baking beans, bake for 25 mins, then remove the baking paper and beans. Continue to cook for 10 mins more until golden. Remove from the oven and cool.
• Melt the chocolate and butter together in a large bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the eggs and maple syrup together, then stir into the chocolate with most of the nuts. Pour into the tart shell, top with the remaining nuts and bake for 30-40 mins until set. Cool and serve with vanilla ice cream or double cream.

MARTHA'S PECAN TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights; transfer to oven. Bake until edges are set and golden, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove paper and beans or weights and continue baking until bottom is dry and golden, about 15 minutes more. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Whisk together eggs in a large bowl. Add brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup, and salt; mix to combine. Stir in butter, vanilla, and zest until thoroughly combined. Add chopped pecans and stir to combine.
• Pour filling into tart shell. Neatly arrange pecan halves in rows over filling and transfer to oven. Bake until pastry is lightly browned and filling is set, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely on rack before cutting and serving. Serve with freshly whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE PECAN TART

Steps:

• To make the crust:
• Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse two or three times to combine. Add the butter and continue pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the water by drizzling about 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each drizzle. Stop once the dough begins to come together.
• Transfer the dough to a board and use the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper to press it together. Pat into a disk approximately 6 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to a 13 to 14-inch circle, flouring the dough and board as necessary to keep it from sticking. Roll up the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it into the tart pan. Gently lift the edges to ease the dough into the corners of the pan, then push the dough down gently to be certain the dough around the sides is 1/4 inch thick. Use a paring knife to cut excess dough from the rim of the pan. If necessary, pat a bit of the dough trimmings into any thin spots. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375degreesF. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet.
• Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, line with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the parchment and weights, and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly over the bottom of the crust and bake for an additional minute, just to melt the chocolate. Remove from the oven and use the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula to spread the chocolate in an even layer. Let cool on a rack while you prepare the filling. Raise the oven temperature to 400degreesF.
• To make the filling:
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and stir over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring, swirling the pan so the caramel colors evenly. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, brush with a wet pastry brush. Test the color of the caramel by drizzling a few drops onto a white plate. When the color is medium to dark amber, remove from the heat. Slowly and carefully - it will bubble up - add the cream.
• Return the caramel to medium heat and cook for 3 minutes to thicken slightly, reducing the heat to medium-low if the caramel bubbles too much. Remove from the heat and cool for 15 minutes.
• Place the tart shell on a baking sheet.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the vanilla, egg, and yolk. Slowly whisk into the caramel. Stir in the melted butter, followed by the nuts and nibs, if using. Pour the filling into the prepared tart shell. The filling will come to the top of the shell. (If the crust has shrunk during baking, it may not hold all the filling.)
• Bake the tart for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375degreesF and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the filling is set.
• Let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. While still warm, move the tart in the pan to loosen the edges where the caramel has stuck, but keep it in the pan.
• Let cool completely before removing the tart ring.
• Serve each wedge of tart with a dollop of the cocoa whipped cream.
• Cocoa Whipped Cream:
• Place the cream in a chilled metal bowl or mixer bowl. With a whisk, or the whisk attachment, whip the cream until slightly frothy. Combine the sugar with the cocoa powder. Sprinkle into the cream and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

FAVORITE CHOCOLATE-BOURBON PECAN TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 12-in. circle. Press onto bottom and up sides of an ungreased 11-in. tart pan with removable bottom. Sprinkle with chocolate chips., Beat eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, bourbon and salt. Stir in pecans. Pour over chocolate chips. Bake until center is just set and crust is golden brown, 30-35 minutes. , Cool on a wire rack. Cut into slices. Serve with caramel topping.

PUMPKIN TART WITH PECAN CRUST

Steps:

• Set rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9 inch pie plate. Set aside.
• Spread nuts over a baking pan. Toast for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the smell of nuts fills the kitchen. Set aside 16 pecan halves for garnish.
• Combine oats, flour, remaining pecans, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a food processor bowl. Pulse until mixture becomes a coarse meal. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Whisk together oil and 3 tablespoons maple syrup, and mix into dry ingredients to form a soft dough. Press mixture into prepared pie plate. Crimp edges. Bake for 10 minutes, and set aside to cool.
• Blend soymilk and arrowroot in the food processor until the arrowroot is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about 15 seconds. Add pumpkin, 1/2 cup maple syrup, ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and cloves; process until thoroughly blended. Pour filling into baked crust, and smooth the top with a spatula.
• Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and the outside inch of the filling is set. Don't worry if the center is still soft; it firms up as the pie cools. Transfer pie to a wire the rack. Gently press toasted pecan halves into hot filling in 2 concentric circles. Cool to room temperature, and then chill until set, about 3 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

FUDGE PECAN BROWNIE TART

Steps:

• Combine flour, brown sugar and nuts in a large bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in milk and vanilla with a fork just until blended. Pat onto bottom and up the sides of an 11-in. tart pan; set aside. , For filling, melt chocolate and chips in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Place in a large bowl and combine with sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; blend well. Gradually add flour, blending well after each addition. Add nuts. Pour over crust. , Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until center is just set and toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. , Meanwhile, for frosting, melt chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Add milk, butter, yolk and vanilla. Heat, stirring vigorously, until smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. Spread over tart. Garnish with whipped cream and pecans if desired.

APPLE PECAN CRANBERRY TART

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring 3/4 cup apple juice and sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add apples and cranberries; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until apples are tender and berries pop,. Whisk flour and remaining juice until smooth; stir into cranberry mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool to room temperature. , Fit pastry into an 10-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom, or press into the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a 10-in. springform pan. Line pastry with double thickness of heavy-duty foil. , Bake at 450° for 5 minutes. Remove foil; bake 7-10 minutes or until pastry is nearly done. Cool. Add apple mixture. Combine first four topping ingredients; sprinkle over filling. Arrange pecan halves on top. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

PUMPKIN-PECAN TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: On a lightly floured work surface, roll pate brisee into a 14-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into an 11-inch-round tart pan with a removable bottom. Fold edges toward center to reinforce; press into sides of tart pan. Prick bottom of tart shell all over with the tines of a fork. Cover with plastic wrap; chill tart shell until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Uncover and line chilled tart shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to oven and bake until crust is set in pan, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove weights and parchment and continue baking until bottom of crust is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Brush crust with egg white and let stand 5 minutes.
• Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
• Make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, and salt. Pour filling into cooled tart shell; transfer to oven and bake until slightly set, about 15 minutes.
• Make the topping: Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt; using a pastry blender or your hands, mix in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add pecan halves and mix to combine.
• Remove tart from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Sprinkle topping over filling and return tart to oven; bake until topping is dark golden-brown and center is bubbling slightly, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool. Serve with whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PECAN TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unfold dough on lightly floured parchment. Roll out into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, about 10 by 15 inches. Transfer dough on parchment to a baking sheet. Fold edges in to form a 1-inch border. Pierce bottom of shell with a fork. Brush border with egg wash; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake shell until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Press down on bottom with an offset spatula to flatten (leave border puffy). Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, occasionally washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Let boil, swirling pan occasionally, until caramel is dark amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Gradually add cream (caramel will steam and spatter). Add butter and chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Pour filling into tart shell and spread to cover bottom. Sprinkle with pecans and salt. Let cool slightly, then refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes; serve with whipped cream. Tart can be made ahead and stored in refrigerator up to 1 day.

MAPLE PECAN TART

Steps:

• For crust:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until smooth. Add sugar, egg yolk, and salt; beat until blended. Add flour and beat just until dough begins to clump together. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 10 1/2-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
• Place crust in freezer 30 minutes before filling and baking.
• For filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Whisk in maple syrup, corn syrup, melted butter, and salt. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into unbaked crust. Place tart on rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake tart until filling is slightly puffed and set, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Tent loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature.
• Cut tart into wedges and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

SWEET POTATO TART WITH COCONUT CRUST AND PECAN STREUSEL

Steps:

• To make the crust, put the flour, sugar, coconut, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the egg yolks to the water and, with the machine running, pour it through the feed tube. Pulse until the dough comes together and forms a ball. Turn it out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, flatten it into a disk, and wrap it tightly. Chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
• To make the rum crème anglaise, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until smooth and pale yellow. In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half to a boil. Remove from the heat. Gradually add about 1/2 cup of the half-and-half to the egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper them. Transfer the egg mixture to the saucepan with the remaining half-and-half and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes; it should register 175°F on an instant-read thermometer. Strain into a bowl and add the vanilla bean and rum. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. (The crème anglaise can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch round. Fit the dough into a 10-inch fluted pan with a removable bottom, pressing it gently onto the bottom and up the sides. Trim the excess dough. Prick all over the bottom with a fork. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Line the tart shell with parchment paper or foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until golden brown and crisp on the bottom. Let cool slightly on a rack before filling, about 20 minutes.
• To make the filling, prick the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork. Bake for about 45 minutes, until tender. Let cool.
• Peel the sweet potatoes and pass through a food mill. (You need 2 cups pureed sweet potatoes for the filling.)
• Lower the oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla extract, half-and-half, and butter and whisk with a sturdy whisk until satiny smooth. (The filling can be made ahead, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
• To make the streusel, put the pecans, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse a few times until the mixture comes together a bit. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and, working quickly, rub the mixture between your fingers until the streusel is in lumps slightly larger than peas.
• Pour the filling into the prebaked crust. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the tart. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is slightly puffed and set in the middle. Let cool slightly on a rack. To serve, cut the tart into wedges and drizzle with rum crème anglaise.
• Variation:
• Cinnamon crème anglaise is another worthy companion if rum doesn't suit your fancy. Simply omit the rum and add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon along with the vanilla.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT PECAN TART

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together 8 tablespoons butter and the confectioner's sugar. Beat in the yolk until combined, then beat in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt. With the mixer running on low, beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Scrape the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch round. Transfer to a 10-inch fluted tart pan. Chill 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the crust with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake 15 minutes; remove weights and foil and return crust to the oven to bake until dry to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool.
• Melt the remaining stick of butter. In a bowl, combine butter, honey, cream, brown sugar, egg, bourbon and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Pour filling into the crust. Bake until the top is golden brown and the filling is gently set, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

PECAN CRANBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly toast pecans in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven until fragrant but not darker, about 5 minutes, then cool. Leave oven on.
• Cook 1/2 cup sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel. Tilt pan and carefully add corn syrup (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved.
• Remove pan from heat and add butter, stirring until melted, then cool caramel until it stops bubbling. Whisk together eggs, salt, vanilla, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar, then add caramel in a stream, whisking constantly. 3Spread pecans and cranberries evenly in tart shell and pour caramel over them, tapping pecans and cranberries down to coat thoroughly. Bake tart in middle of oven until filling is set, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack before removing rim of pan.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-CRANBERRY-PECAN TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Roll out pastry to fit an 11-in. tart pan with removable bottom; trim edges. Sprinkle with the cranberries, pecans and chips. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, flour and orange zest; pour over chips., Bake 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

CHOCOLATE-TOFFEE PECAN TART

Steps:

• Make the dough: Pulse the flour, cocoa, confectioners' sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of butter. Add the egg and pulse once or twice. (Stop before the dough gathers into a ball.) Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Place the dough on a large sheet of lightly floured parchment paper. Roll into a 12-inch round, no more than 1/8 inch thick. Invert the dough over a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and peel off the parchment; press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan. (If the dough tears, just pat it back together.) Trim the excess dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
• Position racks in the middle and lower third of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line the crust with foil, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake on the middle rack, 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Prepare the filling: Coarsely chop 1 cup pecans. Combine the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla and kosher salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture turns dark amber, 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately stir in the chopped pecans and cook 1 to 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the corn syrup and brown sugar until dissolved. Cool until lukewarm, then whisk in the eggs and bourbon until combined. (The tart can be made 1 day ahead up to this point; cover and refrigerate the filling and wrap the cooled crust in plastic wrap.)
• Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Place the tart shell on a baking sheet and pour in the filling up to the brim. Arrange the remaining 1/2 cup pecan halves on top. Bake on the lower oven rack until the tart is evenly browned and slightly domed in the center, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

SEA-SALTED CHOCOLATE & PECAN TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon or in an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks and 35ml water and mix well until all the liquid has been incorporated. Gradually mix in the flour and cocoa powder until a paste is formed. It will be quite a soft dough.
• Wrap the pastry in foil, flatten it with your hand and chill for 1 hr. The pastry can be made two days ahead, though in this case, you may want to remove it from the fridge for a few minutes before rolling to soften it.
• Sprinkle your work surface with a light dusting of flour and roll out the pastry until it's about 5mm thick. Line a 23cm tart tin with the pastry using the rolling pin to help you lift it over, pushing the pastry well into the edges and folding the excess over the top. Trim off the excess. Chill for 15 mins to relax the pastry and to help prevent it from shrinking during cooking.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the tart with a sheet of baking parchment (scrunch it up first to soften it), then tip in baking beans, rice or lentils and bake blind for 15 mins. Lift out the beans and bake for a further 10-12 mins until the base is dry. Allow to cool.
• To make the filling, put all the ingredients in a glass or metal mixing bowl, place it over a pan of very hot water and allow them to melt together until glossy and thick. Pour into the cooled pastry case and chill for 4 hrs or overnight.
• For the topping, heat the sugar in a saucepan on a medium heat, tilt the pan rather than stirring, until you have an even golden liquid caramel. Add the salt and mix well with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Pour in the pecans and, mixing thoroughly, quickly pour the mixture on to a piece of baking parchment and spread out with the back of the spoon. Allow to cool thoroughly, then break or chop up into shards or chunky pieces to sprinkle over the ganache.
• Cut the tart with a hot, wet knife for perfect, restaurant-quality slices. Recipe adapted from Adventures with Chocolate by Paul A Young (£14.99, Kyle Books). Photographs © Anders Schønnemann.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL PECAN TART

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°. Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and darkened, 10-15 minutes (you want them well toasted). Let cool, then coarsely chop.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 13" round. Transfer to pan. Lift up edge and allow dough to slump down into pan; trim excess. Prick dough in a few places with a fork to prevent bubbles. Cover with parchment paper or heavy-duty foil, leaving overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans.
• Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is just golden and dry around the edge, 10-15 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment and bake until golden brown and surface looks dry, 10-15 minutes longer. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let crust cool.
• Meanwhile, cook sugar and corn syrup in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until dark amber, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and, whisking, gradually add cream and bourbon, if using. Add chocolate, butter, and kosher salt, stirring until chocolate and butter are melted; stir in pecans. Scrape filling into crust; sprinkle with sea salt. Let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour before slicing.
• Do ahead: Tart can be baked 3 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.