Thursday, November 19, 2015

Southern Style Pecan Pie



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. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.


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