Pecan Tarts

It is definitely countdown to Thanksgiving time! Today I tried out a recipe for pecan pie tarts. These have all the flavor of pecan pie, even though the texture is a bit different. I based my recipe on several at the Low Carb Friends board. I think this recipe could still use a slightly richer texture, but perhaps the difference is that my tarts have a much more shallow filling area. I might try a deeper pie crust, but then, how much pecan pie can we eat this week?

I think I will also add more molasses, because these tarts are a little too blond looking. I will go ahead and put that in the recipe in case you want to try this recipe. I would be happy with a pumpkin pie--easy to low carb. But the hubby simply must have his pecan pie. Putting that together without high fructose corn syrup is a challenge for sure. I don't like to buy specialty sweeteners too often, as they are expensive. I also try to stay away from too many sugar alcohols. The holidays are an exception, however. This recipe uses pancake syrup sweetened with sorbitol. Since we don't eat it often, not much damage is done. Sugar alcohols still tend to raise hubby's blood sugar levels. Surely, it is better than a pie filled with corn syrup and brown sugar! For the rest of the sweetener, I used a mixture of liquid sucralose and stevia.

On Low Carb friends, all the recipes said to use a maltitol based syrup. Since those are not available locally, I substituted with an easy to find ingredient. The brand I chose is Best Choice, and I think that Great Value at Walmart has the same ingredient list. Far less expensive than ordering!

Pecan Tart or Pecan Pie Filling

1 1/2 cups sugarfree pancake syrup
3 teaspoons molasses
5 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Splenda or equivalent sweetener
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecans


Place the syrup in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until it reduces to a very thick syrup, about ten minutes. Let cool. In another bowl, melt butter. Let cool slightly then add molasses, sweetener, and vanilla. To this mixture, add eggs, one at a time, stirring well to incorporate. Stir in pecans. Pour into prepared crusts. Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes for tarts, longer for pie. Makes 6 small tarts, or one standard pie.

For the crust, I used one cup of pecan meal mixed with 3 tablespoons melted butter. You may choose to add a tablespoon of sweetener if desired. This should cover one pie pan or three tart pans. You would need to double the crust recipe to make six tarts...or half the filling recipe to make three tarts.

The rest of this week will be a baking frenzy. I plan to make some side dishes every day leading up to Thanksgiving. That way, barring any turkey catastrophes, the holiday will be more enjoyable for the cook!