Photography by Jim Bathie | Recipe Development by Ola Agbodza | Food Styling by Vanessa Rocchio
The Salted Caramel Pecan Tart is a stunning dessert that blends buttery pastry with rich, homemade caramel and toasted pecans. It is the perfect marriage of sweet and salty, fit for any holiday.
Salted Caramel Pecan Tart
Makes 1 (9-inch) tart
Ingredients
- Sweet Pie Dough (recipe follows)
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, diced and room temperature
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ cups toasted pecans, chopped
- 1 cup toasted pecan halves
- Flaked sea salt
Instructions
- On a lightly floured surface, roll Sweet Pie Dough into a ⅛-inch-thick round (about 12 inches). Carefully transfer to a 9-inch round fluted removable-bottom tart pan, gently pressing into bottom and up sides. Trim excess dough. Using a fork, dock bottom. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Top dough with a piece of parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan. Add pie weights.
- Bake until edges are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove paper and weights, and bake until bottom is dry and golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Let cool completely.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together sugar, ¼ cup water, and corn syrup until well combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil and sugar begins to melt. (Do not stir after mixture begins to boil.) Cook, not stirring but swirling pan if needed, until an instant-read thermometer registers 350° to 355°, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Slowly stir butter into caramel until butter is melted. Slowly and carefully stir in cream, vanilla, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until an instant-read thermometer registers 240° to 245°, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in chopped pecans. Pour mixture into cooled prepared crust. Arrange pecans on top as desired. Let cool completely. Best served same day. Sprinkle with sea salt before serving.
Sweet Pie Dough
Makes 1 (9-inch) crust
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt at medium speed until pale and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add egg, and beat until combined, stopping to scrape bottom and sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, beating until just combined.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Let frozen dough thaw overnight in refrigerator before using. If refrigerating dough for longer than 30 minutes, let stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling out.
