1/11 Gwen’s World Famous Pecan Tart
While spending time in Atlanta it became an obsession to find authentic Georgia pecans. As someone that loves to bake and has a passion for pecans, I could not leave the holy land of pecans without having experienced them first hand. We went to a store called Burgers Farm Fresh Fruit Market in Marietta. It is a store frequented by locals. We took winding back roads to get there as Sandy’s mom, Gwen, navigated from the passenger seat of the KIA. We went this way and that until we snuck in the back and found our spot in their lot.
Inside we found huge bins of Georgia pecans. I felt my heart jump in my chest. They had the Paper Shell pecan and the more buxom, original variety of pecan. The cashier was more than happy to explain that the Paper Shell would have a thinner shell and would be easier to crack, but would provide a smaller meat. Her thought was that if you were going to bother to shell your own pecans, you should go for it and indulge in the one that may be harder to get at, but would yield a greater sized pecan. I bought both out of curiosity. I also grabbed a bag of already shelled pecans because they were too gorgeous to leave behind.
As I got back into the car with my bounty of locally born pecans, my mind swirled with all the possibilities until it became abundantly clear. You see, the entire time we had been in Atlanta we had been hearing about Gwen’s world famous Pecan Tart. Her kids ask for it, the neighbors demand it. The tart has become legendary. Time for this nutty legend to get a vegan make-over.
When we got to Sandy’s parents house I looked over the recipe to see how easily we could veganize it. I thought, “We can do this.” The only thing I was unsure about was that we would need to do to make vegan heavy cream, something I had never done. Ironically, I had just received the Very Vegan, cookie cookbook for Christmas, which explained how to do just that. There is a bit of kismet in this journey.
On New Years Day, Sandy’s parents, Sandy and myself shelled pecans for hours, drank wine and recreated Gwen’s world famous Pecan Tart with a new compassionate twist.
Gwen’s World Famous Vegan Pecan Tart
Original recipe from Southern Living and veganized by Mom & Dad Boulton, Sandy and myself
Ingredients
1 C sugar
1/4 C water
1 C vegan whipping cream *(instructions for making whipping cream below)
1/4 C Earth Balance cut into small pieces
1/4 C agave
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 C pecan halves coarsely chopped
1 vegan frozen pie crust to make a pie or vegan pie dough if you would like to use a 9 inch tart pan. The priginal recipe is for a tart but I made it into a pie and used a frozen pie crust because it was easy. Most frozen crusts in any average grocery store are vegan when you read the ingredients.
Make It Happen
*I learned how to make vegan heavy cream from Very Vegan Christmas Cookies by Ellen Brown. It worked like a charm. To make vegan heavy cream reduce the amount of non dairy milk by 3 Tbsp and replace it with 3 Tbsp melted vegan butter. Stir until blended. If the cold milk makes the butter clump, you may warm it slightly.
~Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
~Bring 1 C of sugar and 1/4 C water to a boil in a medium sized sauce pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cover and boil over medium-high heat, without stirrring, 8 minutes or until golden, swirling pan occassionally. Ours took a little bit longer than 8 minutes. We continued to swirl pan without removing the lid.
~Remove from heat, and gradually stir in heavy cream. Mixture will bubble. Add butter, agave, and salt, stirring until smooth. Stir in pecans and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. For approximately 25 minutes.
~Spread pecan mixture evenly into frozen pie or tart pan with crust. Push edges of pecans down into the caramel mixture so they do not burn while baking. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until pie and crust are golden brown. Refrigerate overnight to allow the pie to set then serve chilled or at room temperature.
For the past two and a half years I have been trying to figure out how to create the ultimate vegan pecan pie without using corn syrup. Compassionate lovers of nut filled pies, our prayers have been answered. This pie is so abundant in flavor and crunchy with nuts it makes all other pecan pies feel fraudulent. It is a caramel pool filled with pecans, cradled in a flaky crust. Sandy’s mom aquiesced that the flavor of the vegan version was spot on. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Have a delicious day.
Tags: compassionate eating, dairy free, egg free pecan pie, non-dairy pecan pie, plant based diet, trying vegan, vegan dessert, vegan pecan pie, vegan pie, vegan wannabe
