Smoked Maple Pecan Tart with Ricotta Cream

1. Lightly oil a 9" (23 cm) round tart pan with a removable bottom.
2. To make the pastry, put the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the egg yolk and just enough ice water for the mixture to form a ball. Turn out, shape into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Roll the pastry between two sheets of baking paper to 1/8" (3 mm) thick, large enough to line the base and sides of the pan. Press into the pan, trim the overhang and refrigerate 30 minutes.
4. Prick the base all over with a fork, line with parchment and fill with baking weights. Bake on the bottom shelf 10 minutes, remove the paper and weights, return to the oven and bake 10–12 minutes more until lightly golden. Cool completely.
5. Whisk the brown sugar, cream, flour and 1/4 cup of the maple syrup in a medium bowl until smooth.
6. Scatter the pecans across the tart base and pour the filling over to cover evenly. Bake 30–35 minutes until just set. Cool completely.
7. Stir together the ricotta, powdered sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Add hickory (or apple) wood chips to the burn chamber of the Breville Smoking Gun, slide the hose under the wrap above the ricotta, turn the gun on HIGH SPEED and ignite the chips, then switch to LOW SPEED and smoke a few seconds until the bowl fills with dense smoke. Remove the hose, reseal and let infuse 3 minutes.
8. Put the remaining maple syrup in a small pitcher, cover with plastic wrap and smoke it the same way; let infuse 3 minutes, occasionally swirling the syrup.
9. Serve the tart with the smoked ricotta cream and drizzle with the smoked maple syrup.

Tip: to save time, use a prepared store-bought tart shell instead of making your own.