Pate Brisee: In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/8 cup (30 ml) water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour. 

After the dough has chilled sufficiently, place on a lightly floured surface, and roll into a 13 inch (33 cm) circle. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).) Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and tuck the overhanging pastry under itself. Use a fork to make a decorative border or else crimp the edges using your fingers. Refrigerate the pastry, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes before pouring in the filling. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. 

Make the Pecan Filling: In a large saucepan, heat the brown sugar, Lyle's Golden Syrup, rum, and butter until boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool until tepid. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. When the boiled syrup has cooled, beat in the eggs, salt, and cream. 

Remove the chilled pastry crust from the refrigerator and evenly distribute the chopped pecans over the bottom of the crust.  Then pour the filling evenly over the nuts. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is just set (a toothpick inserted into the center of the pie will come out clean. (If you find the edges of the pie crust are over browning during baking, cover with foil.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipping cream.

Makes one 9 inch (23 cm) pie.

Note: To toast pecans - Place pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes in a 350 degree F (180 degree C) oven until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

Make the Maple Whipped Cream:

Place the heavy whipping cream and maple syrup in bowl of your electric mixer. With the whisk attachment, whip the cream until soft peaks form.

Sources:

Barker, Karen. 'Sweet Stuff'. The University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill: 2004.

Beranbaum, Rose Levy. 'The Pie and Pastry Bible'. Scribner. New York: 1998.

Thorne, John and Lewis Thorne, Matt. 'Outlaw Cook'. Farrar Straus Giroux. New York: 1992.