Pecan cranberry tart

FOUND IT: At Foodnetwork.com, where it was linked from a pecan pie recipe I've also mentioned recently.

I love pecan pie, and this is a great twist on it. The crust is a fair amount of work, but it's worth it as an alternative to a normal pie crust. You can also simplify a fair amount here. For example: The recipe calls for a tart pan, but I don't own one. A pie plate worked fine in its place.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 3 tbsp water

Filling:

• 1 cup pecan halves, divided into two 1/2 cups
  
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  

Coat a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick spray.

To make crust: Spread oats in another pie pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 6 to 12 minutes at 375. Let cool. (I didn't.) Place the oats in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Leave the oven on and set at 375.

Stir together oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Drizzle oil onto dry ingredients and use a fork or your fingers to blend until crumbly. Using a fork, stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 7 to 8 times. Roll the dough out to an 11-inch circle, dusting with flour if necessary. Transfer the dough to prepared pan, pressing to fit. Trim edges. (If necessary, use scraps to patch any holes in crust.)

To make filling & bake: Spread 1/2 cup pecans on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Whisk brown sugar, eggs, egg whites, corn syrup, vinegar, butter, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. By this point your pecans should be cool-ish, give them a coarse chop. Stir in dried cranberries and the chopped pecans. Spoon filling into crust. Arrange remaining 1/2 cup pecans on top of the filling.

Bake the tart until filling is set and crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Pecan pie

FOUND IT: At FoodNetwork.com.

Pecan pie is one of my favorite foods. Last winter I had a recipe that I made over and over again until my wife complained so I put it away for a while. This winter I wanted to make one again, but the recipe was gone. This one is also pretty good, so I'm filing it away before I lose it again.

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 cups chopped toasted pecans
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 pre-baked pie crust (follow the link above for a recipe for that)
  

In a medium saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and, stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts and the vanilla. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.) Whisk the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth. Put the pie shell on a sheet pan and pour the filling into the hot crust.

Bake on the lower oven rack at 400 until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 40 to 45 minutes. If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil half way during baking, or use a silicon cover for the edges, like I do.