Pecan date tarts

Can you believe that I've never tried a pecan prior to this? Yeah, I know, sad life right. Anyway, when I saw some pecans in the baking supplies store, do I need to even stop and consider what I was going to do with it? Nope. It's going to be the classic pecan tart for me. And yes, I've also yet to try an authentic pecan pie/tart in my life. I know. The calamity.

Pecan maple date tart

Fluted tins; Pecans (!); Mini pecan tarts

Ripping open the small bag of pecans (hey, the nuts are damn pricey), the first thing I needed to do was, of course, pop one pecan into my mouth, just to try how a pecan taste like. It was a little similar to the walnut, just less drier, and sweeter. It tasted...interesting. Untoasted nuts are always just a tad....uninspiring. Meh. I should have toasted one before trying it.

More pecans; Pecan tart slice

I was all for making a pecan pecan pie, but then, I've heard stories that this dessert is very sweet, so I decided to amend my version to a pecan tart instead, which is totally similar to a pie, just a shallower depth so there would be less filling per serving. When I saw this recipe, I immediately knew I was going to use it. I had dates in the fridge, and the combination of maple syrup sounds, well, delish. I amended a few things for the recipe. Like since I had leftover tart dough in the fridge, I didn't make the recipe's pie crust. And it seemed like there was simply way too much sugar, so as I measured my ingredients, I under-measured the quantities of sugar, maple syrup and corn syrup used. Oh, and cos I was making a handful of small tarts, and a medium sized tart, I halved the recipe, and even so, there was still too much filling.

Verdict? I think it tasted good out of the oven, but it was really, too sweet. Even after reducing the sweet ingredients. Hmmm. I wonder if it's the recipe, or just pecan pie/tart in general. Perhaps it's the recipe? Cos dates themselves are pretty sweet already, and the addition of maple syrup probably was the killer factor. It was nice still, just in small dosage. Luckily I made the tarts miniature, a small tart after lunch/dinner is just the right size for dessert.

I think I should seek out a restaurant that sells pecan pie and try it for myself. I think I recall a girlfriend mentioning P.S Cafe's rendition was "to-die-for" to quote her words. I think I need to drop by P.S Cafe...soon? (: