Butter-Rum Pecan Tart Recipe

A slice of the Butter Run Pecan Tart sists on a brown striped plate with a dollup of whipped cream.

5 from 3 votes

This Butter-Rum Pecan Tart screams fall is just about here. Fresh pecans abound and are perfect for the amazingly easy tart. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this could very well be that easy recipe you were looking for.

Prep Time40

Cook Time40

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy to make, Pecan tart, tarts

Servings: servings

Calories: 523kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Equipment

9x¾" tart pan with removable bottom

Ingredients

Pecan Crust - it is easiest to toast all of the pecans at once and separate them as the recipe calls for.

1 cup all-purpose flour (140 grams)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25 grams)
¼ teaspoon table salt
½ cup pecan halves (60 grams)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold (90 grams)
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Butter-Rum Pecan Filling

¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed (50 grams)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
⅔ cup golden syrup
⅓ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons dark rum
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (45 grams)
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 ½ cups toasted pecan halves (180 grams)

Whipped Cream Accompaniment

1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar ((32 grams)

Instructions

Pecan Crust - It will be easiest to toast all of the pecans at once using them as called for in the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the flour, sugar, salt and pecans in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to coarsely cut in the pecans.
Cut the butter into smaller pieces and add to the processor. Pulse to cut in and mix well. It will look like sand.
Add the cream and pulse it in to make large crumbs. Take a bit between your fingers and press together. If it is too dry to stay together, add about 1 teaspoon cream at a time, pulsing it in.
Pour the dough out onto a work surface and push it together. Knead several times to make a smooth dough. Reserve a walnut size piece of dough. Divide it in half (about 160 grams). Cover the remaining dough. If at any time it becomes too soft to work, chill or freeze it to firm it up.
Using the bottom of the tart pan as a guide, draw a circle on a piece of waxed paper. Flip the paper over so the ink is on the bottom.
Place half of the dough in the center of the circle and flatten it. Place another piece of waxed paper on top and roll it out evenly to fit the circle. If there is a bit of overhang, trim it off.
Remove the top piece of waxed paper. Place the bottom of the tart pan on top of the dough.
Flip the dough over, so the bottom of the pan is on the work surface and the waxed paper is on top. Remove the paper. Place the pan bottom, dough side up, in the tart pan. If the dough seems too soft to flip, chill or freeze it for a few minutes to firm it up.
Divide the remaining piece of dough in half again (about 80 grams each). Roll one piece into a 14" rope. Place it halfway around the inside of the tart pan rim. Repeat with the second piece of dough, making sure the edges overlap.
Press the overlapping edges together very well. Press the ropes into the side of the pan and connect it to the bottom crust. Make sure the bottom edge is at a 90° angle and is firmly attached to the bottom crust.
Freeze the crust hard before baking it. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Place the frozen crust in the pan and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned and almost done. If the crust separates at any joint, take a small piece of the reserved dough and patch it using a small metal spatula or the back of a teaspoon. There is no need to bake again. Set aside while making the filling.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Butter-Rum Pecan Tart Filling

Whisk together the brown sugar, egg and egg yolk in a medium size bowl.
Whisk in the golden syrup until thoroughly mixed, followed by the rum, butter and salt.
Line the almost baked bottom crust, still on the baking sheet, with the toasted pecan halves in a flat layer. For the prettiest look, turn the halves right side up. Whisk the filling one more time and pour it gently over the pecans. Submerge any pecans if they are not coated with the filling.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes until the pecans are dark, and the filling is bubbling around the edges but still slightly loose in the center.
Cool the tart. It can be served immediately with the whipped cream or it can be left in the tin, wrapped well, and frozen for a month or so.
When ready to serve, thaw the tart at room temperature. Warm it in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes to refresh it.

Whipped Cream Accompaniment

Combine the cream and powdered sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip to soft to medium peaks. This may be done the day before or early in the day. Place it in a covered container and refrigerate.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above. If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article. Many of them will be answered there.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

Unless otherwise noted, salt refers to table salt.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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Make sure the pecans are fresh. I buy in the fall when they are and store in the freezer to make sure they don't become rancid. At the bakery, we would toast 30# boxes of nuts all at once, replace them in their box when cooled and store them in the freezer so they would be ready when we needed them. Worked perfectly.

Be sure to toast the pecans. It makes all the difference in the taste of the tart.

Individual, small bottles of most liquors and liqueurs can be purchased anywhere alcohol is sold. They contain ¼ cup which is a bit more than needed for this recipe.

Please use dark rum (Meyer's Dark Rum is my go-to) for the best flavor. Lighter rums are too mild to carry the flavor.

Keep a small piece of the raw crust dough out and use it to patch the crust if it separates anywhere where it was joined. Just use a small spatula to smear a bit of the raw crust over the opening to seal it. It doesn't have to be baked again.

While I highly recommend Tate & Lyle's Golden Syrup, corn syrup or honey can be substituted.

Dark or light brown sugar can be used. Dark will give the best flavor to the tart.

Nutrition