Pecan pie with a smooth-textured filling, nice crust
We wanted to create the ideal recipe for a not-too-sweet pie with a smooth-textured filling and a properly baked bottom crust.
By partially baking the crust, we ensured the filling wouldn’t compromise its texture during baking and serving; we also found that adding the filling while the crust was still warm helped a great deal.
Classic Pecan Pie
Makes 8 servings
1 recipe Basic Single-Crust Pie Dough (recipe follows), fitted into a 9-inch pie plate and chilled
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup packed (7 ounces) dark brown sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3⁄4 cup light corn syrup 1 tbsp vanilla extract 2 cups (8 ounces) pecans, toasted and chopped fine
Start to finish: one hour ( plus two hours for cooling)
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 F. Line chilled pie shell with double layer of foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until pie dough looks dry and is light in colour, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pie plate to wire rack and remove weights and foil. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and reduce oven temperature to 275 F. (Crust must be warm when filling is added.)
Melt butter in heatproof bowl set in skillet of water maintained at just below simmer. Remove bowl from skillet and stir in sugar Brown sugar’s subtle sweetness and molasses taste kept the spotlight on the pecan flavour.
and salt until butter is absorbed. Whisk in eggs, then corn syrup and vanilla until smooth. Return bowl to hot water and stir until mixture is shiny, hot to touch, and registers 130 F. Off heat, stir in pecans.
Pour pecan mixture into warm pie crust. Bake pie until filling looks set but yields when gently pressed with back of spoon, 50 minutes to one hour. Let pie cool on wire rack until filling has firmed up, about two hours; serve slightly warm (see note) or at room temperature.
Basic Single-Crust Pie Dough
Makes enough for one 9-inch pie
1 1⁄4 cups (6 1⁄4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1⁄2 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable shortening, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces and chilled
5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into
1⁄4-inch pieces and chilled 4-6 tbsp ice water
Total time: 30 minutes ( plus one hour for chilling)
Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined. Scatter shortening over top and process until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.
Sprinkle 4 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Stir and press dough together, using stiff rubber spatula, until dough sticks together. If dough does not come together, stir in remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.
Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into 4-inch disk. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Before rolling dough out, let sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes.
Per serving: 659 calories (57 per cent from fat); 42 grams fat (13 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 123 milligrams cholesterol; 338 mg sodium; 70 g carbohydrate; 3 g fibre; 52 g sugar; 7 g protein.