By Annika Patel

It’s been three years since our arrival, and even now, some mornings, I must pinch myself to fully grasp the fortune of calling this place home. Despite my deep appreciation for this new chapter, October stirs nostalgia within me. To soothe that longing, we’re indulging in the delight of American pecan pie, enriched with the sweetness of Canadian maple syrup, at our table this month. I hope you’ll join us in savouring this delicious treat!

Method

1. Blind bake a 24cm pie crust of your choice and set it aside.
2. Lightly toast the pecans. Set aside enough pecan halves to arrange in a circular pattern in the pie plate and coarsely chop the rest.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the last two.
5. Sprinkle the chopped pecans onto the pie shell. Pour in the filling. Arrange the pecan halves on top in a circular pattern.
6. Bake for 20 minutes. Cover pie with aluminium foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the filling is firm. Remove foil and bake for an extra 1-2 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt flakes.

Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 100g unrefined molasses sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla bean extract
• 320g maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp wholemeal flour
• 275g pecan halves
• Maldon sea salt flakes for topping