Rod’s Pecan Slice

Served during the recording of Episode 1: Horribly Blond(e)

Ingredients

Pastry

• 1½ cups plain flour
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 125 g cold butter, chopped
• 1 egg yolk

Filling

• 1 cup pecans
• ¾ cup maple syrup (not maple-flavoured syrup — the real stuff, usually from Canadia)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 40 g butter, melted

Method

1. Lightly grease a 23 cm loose bottomed flan pan. Or cake tin. Or square tin.
2. Sift flour and icing sugar into a large bowl. Rub in butter using fingertips unti the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add eggs yolk and mix until the dough comes togther.
3. Knead dough on a lightly floured, cool surface until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out pastry to desired size between two sheets of baking paper. Remove paper and ease pastry into pan/tin. Trim edges and chill in pan for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 180°C.
5. Spread the pecans out in another oven tray, and roast for 5-10 minutes. Immediately transfer pecans to a mixing bowl.
6. Place pan/tin on oven tray, and blind-bake pastry for 10 minutes (raw rice on top of baking paper will weigh the pastry down just fine). Remove paper and filling, and back for an extra 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and reduce oven temperature to 160°C.
7. Combine maple syrup, eggs, flour and butter for filling in bowl with pecans. Pour mixture into pastry.
8. Bake for 25–30 minutes until set. Set aside to cool. Slice and serve with dollops of double cream.