Enjoying sherry wine / pairings and recipes / Pedro Ximénez
Cooking time: 1 hour
Make Maple Cream: whisk crème frâiche and maple syrup together until smooth, cover and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, until thickened.
Roll pastry to fit base and sides of a 25cm flan tin.
Press gently into the tin, trim 1cm above the top of the tin, fold the excess over and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200ºC.
Place the tin on an oven tray, prick the base of the pastry with a fork, cover with baking paper, top with dried beans (or pastry weights) and bake for 10 minutes. Discard paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes or so until lightly coloured.
Meanwhile, roughly chop all but 16 of the pecans.
Combine chopped pecans, egg, butter, maple syrup and sugar. Sift in flour and stir until smooth.
Remove tin from oven and reduce oven temperature to 180°C.
Pour pecan mixture over pastry, arrange whole pecans on top and return to the oven for 25-30 minutes, until firm.
Cool in the tin, then carefully lift out and slide off the base onto a platter.
Serve warm or at room temperature with Maple Cream on the side.
Pedro Ximénez should be served slightly chilled, at between 12 and 14ºC, though the younger wines may be served at lower temperatures.
It is a dessert in itself, though combining exceptionally well with desserts based on slightly bitter chocolate, with ice-creams and blue cheeses of great intensity, such as Cabrales or Roquefort.
Serve between 12 & 14º C in a white wine glass.
A perfect way to finish a meal. Pairs perfectly with desserts that aren't too sweet.
In traditional wide rimmed catavinos or in a white wine glass.
