Whether you pronounce it is 'pee-can'
or 'pa-con', here in the south, you cannot have Thanksgiving without
a pecan pie. I am not going to lie to you, as pies go, this one is
probably one of the most unhealthy pies you can make, but it is so
delicious. If you are a diabetic you better break out the insulin as
a pecan pie is essentially nothing but sugar, butter, eggs, and
pecans.
I am going to be up front with you on
this one, I do not think you can make your own pecan pie cheaper than
you can buy one at the bakery at you local grocery store. The 1 ½
cups of chopped pecans alone will cost you $2.97 (Fisher Chopped
Pecans 16oz or 4 cups for $7.98 at Walmart). However, the flavor and
texture of a homemade pecan pie is far superior to any that you can
buy for about the same price. Another great thing about this pecan
recipe is that you can make it ahead of time and freeze it until you
are ready to serve it. This pie will be going into the freezer until
Thanksgiving which is only seven days from now.
Pecan Pie
I used a pre-made 9” Great Value deep
dish pie crust from Walmart, cost me less than $1.00 and I had them
in the freezer. Normally, I would make my own pie crust, but time is
in short supply right now so hey, I went for convenience. If you want
to make your own pie crust, King Arthur flour has a great recipe with
illustrations of how to make a 'Perfect Flaky Pie Crust'. This is
almost the same recipe as the one I use and the instructions are nice
so check it out.
The Recipe
1 ½ cups pecans, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 flaky pie crust
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and make
pie crust per “Perfect Flaky Pie Crust” recipe instructions, or
you can use a ready made unbaked 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie crust.
Combine butter, sugar, corn syrup and
vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a bowl, reduce the heat and
simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool
slightly. Add the eggs one at a time and beat with a wire whip by
hand until thoroughly combined (you could do this in your stand mixer
if you wish).
Chef's Note: When your filling is
still warm you may need to temper your eggs before mixing them into
the warm filling. Personally, I pour the hot filling into the bowl of
my stand mixer and allow to cool to room temperature, then using the
paddle attachment, I add the eggs and salt and beat until smooth.
Makes it easy, as I do not have to temper the eggs, but there are more dishes to do...
Place the chopped pecans into your
unbaked pie crust, and pour the filling mixture over the pecans,
place the pie pan on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to
60 minutes or until set. To test if the pie is done, take a knife and
insert it into the middle of the pie, if it comes out clean, the pie
is ready.
After about 30 minutes of baking time
has elapsed, you may want to place a pie crust ring on your pie if
you have one to prevent the edges of the crust from burning. If you
do not have a pie crust ring, then simply cover the edges of the pie
with aluminum foil. However be careful when removing the pie from the
oven, the filling will still be liquid and if you get any on your
skin it's like liquid napalm and could cause a bad burn.
Once the pie has been throughly cooked,
remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature on a wire
rack. Serve at room temperature, or heated up, by itself of with
vanilla ice cream, there's no bad combination.
Variations
The following are some of my favorite
variations, if you are adding a liquor such as rum or bourbon, you
want to add it to the sauce with the butter and sugar. The alcohol
will burn off in the cooking process leaving your with the flavor of
the bourbon or rum. The flavor component is what we are looking for
here, not the actual alcohol.
Chocolate Pecan Pie – Add 2
ounces of unsweetened chocolate to the saucepan with the butter,
sugar and corn syrup.
Parrot Head Pecan Pie – Add ¼
teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons Meyer's
Dark rum to to saucepan with butter, sugar mixture and heat per
directions.
Southern Comfort Pecan Pie –
Add 2 tablespoons Southern Comfort or bourbon to saucepan with
butter, sugar mixture and heat per directions.
Conclusion
Whether you make your own pie crust or
use a pre-made one, this pecan pie is a delicious addition to your
Thanksgiving feast. There is nothing like a good 'ol pecan pie to
warm the cockles of your heart. This pie is guaranteed to be a hit
during the holiday's and at all your family gatherings. In addition
to the original recipe, try some of my favorite variations on this
southern classic that I have listed in this article, I am sure you
will be pleasantly surprised.
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