Ingredients

1 sheet shortcrust pastry

1 cup dark brown sugar

3 medium eggs

4 tablespoons salted butter

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla paste

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/3 cup heavy cream 

½ cup pecans

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C

2. Fit the pastry into a 9-inch tart tin, use some excess pastry to press the pastry into the edges of the tin. You also want to make sure there is excess pastry folding over the tart tin because it will shrink in the oven. Lightly prick the pastry with a fork, line with parchment paper (NOT CLINGFILM!!) and fill with rice or baking beans. Bake for 20 mins, then carefully remove the rice and parchment and bake for a further 5-10 mins until light golden.

3. Now you can add the butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat, cook until the butter begins to brown, about 6 minutes. I add extra butter because it will reduce slightly whilst cooking. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool.

4. Whisk together the sugar and eggs until well combined. Whisk in the maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, butter and salt. Then whisk in the cream until smooth. Fold in the chocolate and pecans. Pour the mixture into the crust, using a spatula to distribute the pecans and chocolate evenly. 

5. Remove the tart case from the oven and let it cool slightly before removing the parchment paper and rice. Use a sharp knife to carefully trim the excess pastry. 

6. Pour the mixture into the crust, using a spatula to distribute the pecans and chocolate evenly.  

5. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the pie is set on top, but still soft and slightly wiggly in the centre. The longer you bake, the more set your pie will be. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. 

6. Once cooled, cover with foil and place in the freezer until christmas eve, let it defrost overnight. Serve the pie warm with a large dollop of whipped cream.