Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [390]
Pecan Pie
A Texas classic, this pie has been our default Thanksgiving dessert for years. Because of their high oil content, pecans have a relatively short shelf life—makes sure yours are fresh. Store them, tightly sealed, in the freezer. Serve this pie with Crème Anglaise. Makes one 9-inch pie
3 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup dark corn syrup
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups pecan halves
1 recipe Short Crust or Butter Crust, lined into a 9-inch pie plate
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.
Whisk the eggs, dark corn syrup, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in both sugars and the salt until the sugars dissolve. Stir in the pecan halves; pour into the prepared pie crust.
Bake until the crust is light brown and the filling is almost set, just the slightest jiggle at the center when tapped (no waves across its surface), 40 to 50 minutes.
To cool: Set on a wire rack until room temperature, about 1½ hours.
To store: Once cooled, the pie can be refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.
Variations: Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, or ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg with the sugars.
Substitute 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest for the vanilla.
Add ¼ teaspoon rum extract with the vanilla.
For a pecan pie with a kick, add up to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper with the salt.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
More like a fudge pie, this pecan pie is best cold, when it has the texture of a candy bar. Because the pie is stiff to cut, pecan pieces work better than halves. Makes one 9-inch pie
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups pecan pieces
1 recipe Short Crust or Butter Crust, lined into a 9-inch pie plate
Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the butter and chocolate in the top half of a double boiler with about 1 inch of water simmering over medium heat in the bottom half. Alternatively, place the butter and chocolate in a medium bowl that fits snugly over a medium saucepan with about the same amount of simmering water. Stir until half the chocolate and butter has melted, then remove the top half of the boiler or the bowl from the heat (beware of any escaping steam) and continue stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Whisk in the eggs one at a time, working quickly so the eggs don’t cook in the hot mixture. Once all the eggs have been added and the mixture is fairly smooth, whisk in the brown sugar, dark corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the pecan pieces, then pour into the prepared piecrust.
Bake until the pastry has browned and the filling is puffed and set (there is only the slightest jiggle at the center when the pie is tapped), about 55 minutes.
To cool: Set on a wire rack until room temperature before slicing, about 1½ hours.
To store: Once cooled, the pie can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the pie, then set at room temperature for 10 minutes, and serve like a candy bar.
Variations: Substitute walnut pieces or unsalted peanuts for the pecan pieces.
Add ½ teaspoon rum extract or maple extract with the vanilla.
Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon with the salt.
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Pie Sidekicks
Sweetened sour cream or crème fraîche (1 cup sour cream or crème fraîche combined with 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
Vanilla or maple yogurt
Crème Anglaise
Vanilla Frozen Custard
Caramel Custard