By Maya Bourne
This pecan pie recipe has been passed down through generations, tucked inside our faded family cookbook. It originated with my grandpa, Billy, who passed before I was born. I love baking pies every year for Thanksgiving, specifically pumpkin, berry, and pecan. This specific pie is always a hit, gone before the next day. I bestow upon you this delectable recipe, and maybe it will help you feel closer to your family during the holidays.
Yield: 1 pie
Time: Approx 3 Hours
Ingredients:
Crust (Yields one pie crust):
- 1 ¼ Cup All-Purpose Flour
- ½ Tsp. Salt
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Pro-Tip: Make sure your butter is very cold, preferably frozen, and cut into small cubes
- ⅓ Cup Vegetable shortening
Pro-Tip: Chill your shortening along with the butter if possible
- ½ cup ice cold water
Pro-Tip: Make sure you re-measure out the ½ cup after adding the ice, as some of it will melt into the water
Filling:
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Pro-Tip: emphasis on “tightly packed!!” make sure you get as much as you can in the cup, as the molasses inside the sugar will create more air bubbles in the measuring cup
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 1 ½ cup broken pecans
Pro-Tip: you can use chopped pecans from the store, though I suggest chopping them even more with a knife to get smaller pieces, spreading them out more throughout the batter
- 1 Tbsp. flour
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- ½ Tsp. salt
Directions:
- Start with your crust, combining the flour and salt in a food processor
Pro-TIp: you can use your hands or a pastry cutter in a bowl as well, a food processor is just a faster and easier way
- Add the butter and shortening and pulse until roughly combined.
Pro-TIp: there should be small, pea-sized lumps of butter and shortening left in the dough. Make sure not to overwork it!!
- Add your ice-cold water into the dough one tablespoon at a time until it forms large clumps
Pro-Tip: don’t add more water than you need! Make sure to fully mix in one tablespoon before adding the next one
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and gently fold the dough in on itself to bring together, then form into a disk using your hands
Pro-Tip: don’t overwork the dough!!!!!! If it seems too dry, coat your hands in your ice water before continuing. If the dough feels too sticky, sprinkle flour on your hands and bring it together.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours
Pro-Tip: the longer your dough rests, the better your crust will turn out. I suggest leaving it overnight for the best results, but 2 hours will do in a time crunch!
- Add weights to your crust, then bake for 5-7 minutes at 450 degrees fahrenheit
Pro-Tip: I like to use rice to weigh down my crusts,though you can also use beans or something similar. Make sure to put your weights on parchment paper in the crust, not directly on the dough.
Filling:
- While your dough is chilling, start on your filling! Cream together the butter and sugar until lighter in color
Pro-Tip: there is no real need to soften your butter beforehand, but it will make the creaming process easier.
- Add your eggs in one at a time
Pro-Tip: I like to crack my eggs into a separate bowl to scoop out any stray pieces of shell, but if you like a little extra nutrients, go for it!
- Add in your corn syrup
- Scoop out and save ¼ of your mixture for later!!!
- Combine the chopped pecans, flour, vanilla, and salt in a separate bowl, then add to your butter/sugar mixture
Pro-Tip: make sure to save about 12 nice-looking pecans for your toppings!
- Bake at 375 degrees fahrenheit for 25 minutes
- Add your extra pecans on top in whatever design you’d like, and drizzle the extra batter over the top
Pro-Tip: adding the extra batter on top creates a glaze-like finish over the pecans, leaving a more aesthetically pleasing look
- Cook for 6-8 more minutes, then remove and chill to set
Pro-Tip: the extra cook-time is used to cook off the extra batter on top of the pecans. I like to let my pie chill for at least 30 minutes before serving, though you can serve it earlier.
- Enjoy!!!