Pecan Pie

This pie is my most requested dish come the holidays, with the Strawberry Cheesecake coming in a close second. But come Thanksgiving it’s just expected now that I will show up with one, if not two, pecan pies in tow. I recently asked a friend why he liked it so much and he explained that he loves pecan pie but so often when he gets it, it’s mostly jelly filling with a layer of pecans on top – whereas mine fully incorporates the pecans into the filling. I’ve had others tell me it’s the crust and Jimmy likes to say it’s the maple syrup. My conclusion is this is the end all be all of pecan pie recipes.

I personally love that if you have the time, you can make it from scratch, but if you’re short on time you can grab pre-made pie dough from the store and whip up this filling to still make something homemade-ish in a little over an hour.

This recipe was one that always reminds me of my parent’s home. When I was younger, we had a family friend who always made pecan pie for our big Christmas dinner and when we moved apart, I took the torch and carried the tradition on.

Flaky Pie Dough

1. In a small bowl, add the salt (a pinch) to the cold water (1/3 cup) and stir to dissolve. Keep in freezer until ready to use.
2. Put the flour (1.5 cups) in a standing mixer. Cut the frozen butter (10 tablespoons) into 1-inch pieces and scatter the pieces over the flour. Pulse briefly until the mixture forms large crumbs and some of the butter is still in pieces the size of peas. Add the water-and-salt mixture and pulse for several seconds until the dough begins to come together into a ball but is not completely smooth. You should still be able to see some butter chunks.
3. On a lightly floured surface, form the dough into a ball and shape into a disk
4. Add some more flour to the surface if needed to ensure it stays lightly dusted, roll the dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Place in pie dish. Trim the dough so it only goes to the edge of the pan then crimp the dough to the edge of the pan with your fingers. If you have enough extra dough, I like to make a personal pie by using metal measuring cups or small glass bowls as the pie tin.
5. Chill the shell until firm to the touch, 30-45 minutes.
   
6. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
7. Bake the shell until the surface looks light brown, about 25 minutes. If you start to see the shell rise, use a fork to poke a few holes in the air bubbles. Let the shell cool completely before filling – spend this time creating the filling. 
   

Pecan Filling

1. Have the pie shell nearly cooled and ready for filling.
2. In a saucepan, combine the sugar (3/4 cup), maple syrup (1/2 cup), corn syrup (1/2 cup), and salt (a pinch). Place over medium heat, bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute.
3. Take the pan off of the heat, add the butter (1/4 cup), and whisk as it melts. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. While the mixture is cooling, preheat the oven to 350° F.
4. Add the vanilla (1 teaspoon) and the eggs (3 eggs) to the cooled mixture and stir to mix well. Add pecans (2 cups) then pour filling into the pie crust.
   

   Okay okay this photo doesn’t look like the rest, it is in fact from the second pie I made because I forgot to take one of the filling the first time around 😉

5. Bake the pie until the filling is just set, 40 to 60 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with a piece of aluminum foil. I typically start covering the pie after about 15 minutes to avoid burning.