Pecan Squares
This absolutely does not need to be square, it is just that I like the idea of Pecan Pie squares to have at tea time, as opposed to slices of a tart. I was thinking, ‘What shall I add, what shall I add, um um um…' and then Date syrup sprung into my mind, with its sticky binding quality to add to rice flour and ground almonds. The ground almonds will add the necessary moisture needed when rice flour is involved, and the butter will make the pastry slightly less chewy and just a little bit more pastry-ish.
I am hoping these will last until the weekend at least, because we are going to Devon (my son’s passport is out of date so our overseas holiday had to be cancelled : ( ) and it is much easier to cater in advance. I very much doubt we will not gobble them up between us but I live in hope. It is a rainy day and I am experimenting so today is the day…
INGREDIENTS
Pastry
75g/2.6oz ground almonds
100g/3.5oz rice flour
2 tbsp date syrup
1/2 tbsp coconut sugar
50g/1.8oz melted butter
Filling
3 eggs
2 tbsp gluten free plain flour
generous pinch of Maldon sea salt
50g/1.8oz melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g/4.4oz soft light brown sugar
75g/3.5oz coconut sugar
100g/4.4oz golden syrup
400g/14.1oz pecan nuts
Preheat the oven to 170C/340F Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix them until they come together.
Scrumple up baking paper and place it in a dish measuring about 26x15cm. You could of course use a square dish
Tip the ingredients onto the baking paper and use a spatula to flatten the pastry so that is covers the base.
4. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until the pastry base feels dry.
5. Remove from the oven.
6. Now spread the pecan nuts onto a baking sheet and bake them in the oven for 7 minutes.
7. Remove the nuts from the oven and turn the heat up to 190C/375F
8. Whisk all of the filling ingredients other than the pecans in a bowl.
9. Break up about two thirds of the nuts into small pieces and mix them with the filling.
10. Pour the filling on top of the base and arrange the remaining nuts on top.
11. Bake for 10 minutes before turning the heat down to 170C/340F for 20 minutes. Check that the centre of the bake is no longer liquid. If it is, leave it to cook for a few more minutes.
12. Turn the oven off and leave the bake in the oven with the door open to cool.
13. You could keep the tin in the fridge which makes it easier to cut into squares.
14. Serve any temperature you like, with cream, tea, coffee …
