Name: Pecan Tart with an Heirloom Wheat Crust
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 25 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Filling; 2 egg whites; 3 eggs; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; pinch of salt; 1 pinch nutmeg; Crust; 1/2 tsp salt (2 grams); 6 Tbsp unsalted butter (85 grams); 2 tsp sugar (8 grams); 1 1/4 cups turkey red whole grain flour (165 grams) *; 4-8 Tbsp ice water (60-120 grams); 1/2 tsp ground mahleb **; 1 cup brown sugar, packed (220 grams); 1 Tbsp flour (8 grams); 1 cup milk (235 ml); 2/3 cup finely chopped pecans (85 grams) ***; 1 tsp vanilla extract (4 grams) ***; Additional pecans to decorate the top of the tart; Meringue Topping; 2 Tbsp sugar (25 grams)

Instructions

This recipe is scaled to a 9.5" tart pan. As it is written, you will have extra dough, which you can make into a mini handpie or thumbprint cookies filled with jam to be baked on the baking sheet that goes under your tart pan. Keep an eye on them in the oven as they will bake quickly.
If you prefer to make a full size pie, the crust will fit a standard 9" pie plate without any changes. You should multiply the filling ingredients by 1.5 to fill a pie dish.
Crust Prep and Parbaking
Begin by grating refrigerator temperature butter onto a plate or piece of parchment paper, then put it in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and spices.
Add the cold grated butter to the dry ingredients and use your fingers to toss and coat the butter.
Drizzle in ice water one tablespoon at a time while chopping/stirring the mixture with a bowl scraper or pastry blender.
Press the dough down with your fist to check if it comes together. Add more ice water if not.
When there is no dry flour, transfer the dough to a clean work surface and form it into a ball.
Dust the dough with flour and roll it out to about 1/2-inch thickness with a rolling pin.
Fold the dough in thirds and thirds again and form it into a disk.
Place the dough in a closed container or wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 425°F and lightly grease your tart pan. Have a baking sheet available to go under the tart pan.
Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough to 11-12 inches diameter.
Carefully lift the dough and place it in your tart or pie pan. Press it into the pan and trim edges (crimp if making a pie).
Place foil or parchment paper over the crust, pressing it into the shape of the crust, and add pie weights or beans.
Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and load it into the oven.
Bake at 425°F for 12 minutes, remove the weights and foil, dock a few times with a fork and return the crust to the oven for 5-7 minutes more.
Remove the crust and baking sheet from the oven and drop the oven temperature to 350°F.
Filling Prep
This can be done while the pie dough is chilling or while it is parbaking.
In a saucepan with the stove still off, thoroughly mix together the brown sugar, flour, and eggs. Combining these items first prevents flour lumps and you don't need to pre-whisk the eggs.
Add the milk, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract. Turn the stove heat on low.
Heat the mixture slowly while stirring continuously. You want to avoid a simmer, which will make scrambled eggs. The heat should be low enough that you only see steam, never bubbles, and this step should take at least 10 minutes. If you have a probe thermometer, target a final temperature of about 170-175°F. See the short video above for target thickness. If your pan is on the thin side or your stove hard to set to low heat, consider tempering the eggs into the mixture. In this scenario, bring everything except the eggs to a simmer. Turn off the heat. Then to the already beaten eggs, add 1/2 cup of the hot mixture while whisking vigorously. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of the hot mixture. Finally slowly add this back to the rest of the filling. If thin, turn the heat back on low and stir until thicker.
Tart Assembly and Baking
Pour the filling into the crust and decorate the top with pecan halves if desired.
Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes for a tart and 35 minutes for a pie. Put a silicone or foil pie shield over the crust edges about 10 minutes into the bake. Bake time will vary depending on how thick you cooked the filling on the stove. Aim for the tart to bake until it is a bit inflated/domed but with a little jiggle still in the center.
Remove from the oven and let the tart cool a bit while you prepare the meringue.
Meringue Topping
Using a stand mixer, electric hand mixer, or whisk; beat the two egg whites on medium speed until you have soft peaks. Switch to high speed and slowly add the two tablespoons sugar until the meringue has shiny stiff peaks.