Chuck Hughes shares his delish Maple Pecan Pie Recipe

Serves 8

Excerpted from Chuck’s Home Cooking Family-Favourite Recipes From My Kitchen to Yours. Copyright © 2024 by Chuck Hughes. Cover and interior photography by Marc-André Lavoie. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

Notes from Chef Chuck Hughes

When we opened Garde Manger in 2006, we were finally realizing our dream of owning a restaurant. After a month of renovations, we had it almost all figured out, the place looked good, and the staff was ready to go. But we had no passion for making desserts. Like a lot of cooks, we were scared by baking, pastries, desserts, and basically anything with precise measuring of ingredients. So for a while my mom made all our desserts! This is the maple pecan pie she used to make. It’s a perfect mix of sweet, gooey, crunchy, and savoury.

Maple Pecan Pie Ingredients

Pastry Dough

1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup cold salted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 large egg

1 tablespoon ice water, plus more as needed

Filling

1/3 cup pure maple syrup 1 large egg

1½ cups brown sugar

½ cup heavy (35%) cream 1½ cups toasted pecans

Method

1. Make the pastry dough:In a large bowl, mix the flour, butter, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and ice water. Add to the flour and, using your hands, bring the dough together until it just barely hangs together. Do not overmix. If it’s too dry, add more water a tablespoon at a time, until it just comes together.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead for 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

5. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle, about ⅛ inch thick. Lay the dough in a 9-inch pie plate and gently press it against the edges of the dish. Prick small holes across the surface of the dough with a fork. Trim excess dough and crimp the edges.

6. Make the filling and bake: In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, egg, brown sugar, and cream until smooth. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Spread the pecans evenly over the filling. Bake until the filling is set, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. Store leftover pie, wrapped in plastic wrap, on the counter for up to 2 days.

Excerpted from Chuck’s Home Cooking Family-Favourite Recipes From My Kitchen to Yours. Copyright © 2024 by Chuck Hughes. Cover and interior photography by Marc-André Lavoie. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

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