ecan
Pie, like pumpkin pie, is a staple at most Thanksgiving feasts,
especially in the South where pecans are grown. Pecans are
actually a native North American nut and they definitely take center
stage in this delicious pie where their crisp texture and slightly
bittersweet, almost caramel-like flavor is enhanced by a sweet
and gooey custard.
All pies begin with a pastry crust and while there are many choices, my personal favorite is this Pate Brisee
(short crust pastry)
recipe. I like its crumbly texture and wonderful buttery flavor
that compliments the sweet filling.
Some recipes do call for pre-baking the crust and you can do that,
but I find this step can be eliminated if you simply bake the pie in
the lower third of the oven. You will, however, need to watch
for over browning on the edges of the crust, and if this starts to
happen, just cover the edges with foil.
Pecan Pie is, of course, all about the filling. This recipe comes from John Thorne's
excellent book "Outlaw Cook" and produces a pie with a rich,
dense, and chewy filling that is loaded with pecans. The
pecans are toasted first to enhance their flavor and since I like
pieces of nuts, rather than whole ones, I have chopped the pecans
coarsely. To give the baked pie a more
decorative look, besides the chopped pecans, I have placed whole
pecans around the outside edge of the pie. If you would also
like to do this, just place some
whole pecans on top of the chopped ones before you add the filling. Now, the one noticeable difference with this filling is the use of
Lyle's Golden Syrup instead of the more commonly used corn syrup.
Lyle's Golden Syrup is a British sugarcane syrup that is thick like
molasses, amber colored, with a rich delicate flavor. Using
this syrup, instead of corn syrup, keeps the pecan pie sweet but not
cloyingly so. You can usually find this product in specialty
stores or on the net. If you cannot find it, you can use
either corn syrup or a combination of corn syrup and unsulfured
molasses. Besides the syrup, the filling is also sweetened
with dark brown sugar along with a splash of rum (or bourbon) to
balance the sweetness and to accent all the pie's flavors. If
you do not want to use alcohol in the filling, simply substitute the
rum with 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Just be sure to add the vanilla
along with the eggs. John Thorne does tell us to heat the
filling ingredients to boiling and this step gives the filling a
wonderful dense texture. If you prefer a pie with a softer
filling, omit this step and just mix all the ingredients together
without heating them. Once the filling is made it is poured
over the chopped pecans and baked in a moderate oven just until the
filling has set. After baking, place on a wire rack to cool. There are some that must have chocolate with their pecan pie.
If that is the case, you can drizzle melted chocolate over the baked
and cooled pie. Simply melt one ounce (30 grams) of semi sweet or bittersweet
chocolate in your microwave or in a heatproof bowl set over a
saucepan of simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted add
1 tablespoon of cream and a splash of rum, if desired. Then
drizzle or pipe the chocolate and cream mixture over the top of the
baked and cooled pie. Serve with plenty of whipped cream.
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.
Pate Brisee (Short Crust Pastry):
1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose
flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated
white sugar
1/2 cup (113 grams)
unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces
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