"Would you like some cake?” asked the waitress, “we have excellent cakes” she added. We looked at each other, trying to decide if to take a cake at all, and if so which one. Cafes weren’t places we went to often. Usually we would gather in the public park, close to the neighborhood kiosk. For a group of teenagers, that talk too loud, laugh too heavily and in best case scenario buy one pastry and two sodas to share, cafes were not the place to hang out. It’s only natural that when the waitress offered us a cake my date and I didn’t really know what to do. The waitress that already saw more than a few young couples just like us, suggested that we go and take a look at the cakes refrigerator. We stood there, staring at the decorated cakes, debating between cheesecake to chocolate cake topped with whipped cream and cherries, or maybe apple cake…”so which one do you like?” asked the waitress. Our hands bumped into each other as I pointed toward the chocolate cake and the girl pointed at a cake that had never been prepared in my home, and as a matter of fact I had never seen that cake before that day. “Pecan pie” said the waitress “it’s a new cake here, excellent choice. Have a seat and I’ll bring it to your table”.
Ingredients
Dough
2 cups flour
1 ¾ sticks butter cold
1 egg
½ tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
1-2 TBS cold water
Filling
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup maple syrup
3 eggs
4 TBS butter melted
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Place flour and cold butter in a food processor bowl with plastic blade. Pulse until mixture turns into small crumbs. Add egg salt and mix only until dough is formed. If needed add cold water one TBS of at a time. Make a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
In a deep large bowl whisk eggs. Add melted butter and whisk some more. Add sugar and whisk to combine. Add all filling ingredients and mix well.
Heat oven to 350 f. Roll dough on a floured working surface to a thin circle 2 inch larger than the pie pan. Roll the dough on the rolling pin and spread over the pan. Gently fit the dough to the bottom and the edges, and trim the overhanging dough.
With a fork poke the crust. Pour the filling in, and crimp the rim of the crust. Bake for 50 minutes.
Let cool completely (about 4-5 hours) before serving.
