Maple Walnut Pies with Walnut Shortbread Crust

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and set out two 9-inch pie pans. Melt the butter and divide it: 200 g for the crust, 60 g set aside to cool for the filling.
2. Divide the walnuts: finely grind 60 g for the crust and coarsely chop the remaining 300 g for the filling. Toast the chopped walnuts on a sheet pan for 6 to 8 minutes until fragrant, then cool.
3. Make the crust: in a bowl stir together the flour, the ground walnuts, the granulated sugar and half of the salt (3 g). Pour in the 200 g of melted butter and stir until it looks like damp sand.
4. Divide the crust mixture in half. Press each half firmly and evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a pie pan, using a flat-bottomed cup to pack it.
5. Bake the crusts for 12 to 14 minutes until set and lightly golden at the edges. Lower the oven to 350°F (175°C).
6. Make the filling while the crusts bake: whisk the egg, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and the remaining salt (3 g) until smooth, then whisk in the cooled 60 g of melted butter.
7. Divide the toasted chopped walnuts evenly between the warm crusts, then pour half of the filling over the walnuts in each crust.
8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set, the center jiggles only slightly and it reaches 160°F (71°C). Cover the rims with foil if they brown too fast.
9. Cool the pies on a rack for at least 2 hours to set, then cut each pie into 6 slices.