52 Sundays of Dessert: Week 19
This week I made Southern Pecan Pie.
I'm telling you up front because I feel the need to explain why I chose it. I'll admit it's not a new or intriguing dessert. There's nothing particularly hard about making it. In fact, there's a good chance that you enjoy eating one every year with either Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner (or both).
So it might seem strange that I chose this as something new and different to be a part of my baking experiment. But here's the simple reason I did: I've never made one.
In fact, I can't remember one being made in my house growing up. Though, I will qualify that potentially faulty memory with the statement that I did not like any nuts other than peanuts growing up. So, had there been a pecan pie, it would have been right up there with sweet potato casserole for me (blech) and I might have blocked it out.
Anyway, I decided that in the midst of making inventive or challenging desserts, it would be fun to make one that everyone is familiar with, but which is totally new to me as a baker.
I do feel the need to apologize for making this dessert completely out of season since I've made a big deal about that in all of my other recipes. There's a reason that pecan pies are a fall/winter tradition and it's because that's when pecans are fresh.
However, in my defense, I'm pretty sure that the majority of pecan pies I've seen are made with packaged or canned nuts. Nobody I know has ever made a pie with fresh pecans. Why is that? Well, I simply can't remember ever seeing them for sale that way! So that really makes me not feel so bad that I'm baking a pie with out-of-season nuts because I can just about guarantee that that's all most of us have ever eaten anyway.
Though I am definitely going to hit Whole Foods come September/October and see if they sell fresh pecans. Perhaps then I will add in a bonus dessert (like the Pecan Squares on smittenkitchen.com) to see if there's a noticeable difference.
But back to the pie at hand.
There's not much I can tell you about the preparation of this pie that's particularly interesting. This has to be my 10th pie crust so far this year, which is definitely a record for me. And although I've made several different kinds of dough, it's all basically the same operating procedure. Whether you throw in butter, margarine or shortening, it's the same process in the end. The filling is also very basic. Mix, pour, bake. So I won't bore you with the details.
Not being much of a pecan pie connoisseur, I can't even tell you how this compares with most others. I think I've had a bite of one pecan pie once? It was just never my thing. But according to my sources (the family members who ate it), it wasn't as overly sweet as most pecan pies are and generally they have smaller pecan pieces than what this recipe called for (halves). So if you've been looking for a pecan pie that isn't quite as sugar-filled, I think this one would definitely fit the bill. It's got the sweet, nutty flavor and the golden crust, but I don't think it's quite as cavity-inducing as its brethren.
4 out of 5 stars for Southern Pecan Pie.
Difficulty Rating: 1 out of 10.
Southern Pecan Pie
From leitesculinaria.com, taken from The Glory of Southern Cooking
For the crust
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. vegetable shortening, lard, butter, or margarine
4 to 5 Tbsp. ice water, as needed
For the pie
4 large eggs
1 1/2 C. light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 C. pecan halves
Whipped cream, for garnish
For the whipped cream, I used 8 oz. heavy whipping cream, 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar and 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract, beaten until fluffy.
Making the crust:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt, then cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter or two knives, till the mixture resembles coarse meal. Mixing with a wooden spoon, gradually add enough of the water so that a ball of dough is formed.
(Liz: I had to use more than 5 Tbsp., so just keep adding small amounts until it pulls together.)
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 1 day).
Grease a 9-or-10-inch pie plate and set aside.
After the dough has chilled, take it out of the refrigerator for about 10 minute to let it soften. Then place the dough on a lightly floured surface and with a lightly floured rolling pin roll it out from the center to a 1/8-inch thickness. Carefully fold the pastry in half, lay the fold across the center of the prepared pie plate, unfold it, and press it loosely into the bottom and sides of the plate. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork, trim and crimp the edges, and place on a heavy baking sheet.
Making the pie
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer until frothy. (Liz: This doesn't take long at all.) Add the corn syrup, flour, vanilla and salt, and beat until well blended.
Stir in the butter and pecans and mix well.
Turn the mixture into the pie shell and bake till the filling is cooked but still soft in the center when the pie is gently shaken, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the pie completely on a rack, then chill slightly, and serve with dollops of whipped cream on top.
(Liz: I'm not sure if this is normal, but when mine came out of the oven, it was all puffed up. If this happens to you, don't worry, it settles back down as it cools.)
I'm telling you up front because I feel the need to explain why I chose it. I'll admit it's not a new or intriguing dessert. There's nothing particularly hard about making it. In fact, there's a good chance that you enjoy eating one every year with either Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner (or both).
So it might seem strange that I chose this as something new and different to be a part of my baking experiment. But here's the simple reason I did: I've never made one.
In fact, I can't remember one being made in my house growing up. Though, I will qualify that potentially faulty memory with the statement that I did not like any nuts other than peanuts growing up. So, had there been a pecan pie, it would have been right up there with sweet potato casserole for me (blech) and I might have blocked it out.
Anyway, I decided that in the midst of making inventive or challenging desserts, it would be fun to make one that everyone is familiar with, but which is totally new to me as a baker.
I do feel the need to apologize for making this dessert completely out of season since I've made a big deal about that in all of my other recipes. There's a reason that pecan pies are a fall/winter tradition and it's because that's when pecans are fresh.
However, in my defense, I'm pretty sure that the majority of pecan pies I've seen are made with packaged or canned nuts. Nobody I know has ever made a pie with fresh pecans. Why is that? Well, I simply can't remember ever seeing them for sale that way! So that really makes me not feel so bad that I'm baking a pie with out-of-season nuts because I can just about guarantee that that's all most of us have ever eaten anyway.
Though I am definitely going to hit Whole Foods come September/October and see if they sell fresh pecans. Perhaps then I will add in a bonus dessert (like the Pecan Squares on smittenkitchen.com) to see if there's a noticeable difference.
But back to the pie at hand.
There's not much I can tell you about the preparation of this pie that's particularly interesting. This has to be my 10th pie crust so far this year, which is definitely a record for me. And although I've made several different kinds of dough, it's all basically the same operating procedure. Whether you throw in butter, margarine or shortening, it's the same process in the end. The filling is also very basic. Mix, pour, bake. So I won't bore you with the details.
Not being much of a pecan pie connoisseur, I can't even tell you how this compares with most others. I think I've had a bite of one pecan pie once? It was just never my thing. But according to my sources (the family members who ate it), it wasn't as overly sweet as most pecan pies are and generally they have smaller pecan pieces than what this recipe called for (halves). So if you've been looking for a pecan pie that isn't quite as sugar-filled, I think this one would definitely fit the bill. It's got the sweet, nutty flavor and the golden crust, but I don't think it's quite as cavity-inducing as its brethren.
4 out of 5 stars for Southern Pecan Pie.
Difficulty Rating: 1 out of 10.
Southern Pecan Pie
From leitesculinaria.com, taken from The Glory of Southern Cooking
For the crust
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. vegetable shortening, lard, butter, or margarine
4 to 5 Tbsp. ice water, as needed
For the pie
4 large eggs
1 1/2 C. light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 C. pecan halves
Whipped cream, for garnish
For the whipped cream, I used 8 oz. heavy whipping cream, 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar and 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract, beaten until fluffy.
Making the crust:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt, then cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter or two knives, till the mixture resembles coarse meal. Mixing with a wooden spoon, gradually add enough of the water so that a ball of dough is formed.
(Liz: I had to use more than 5 Tbsp., so just keep adding small amounts until it pulls together.)
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 1 day).
Grease a 9-or-10-inch pie plate and set aside.
After the dough has chilled, take it out of the refrigerator for about 10 minute to let it soften. Then place the dough on a lightly floured surface and with a lightly floured rolling pin roll it out from the center to a 1/8-inch thickness. Carefully fold the pastry in half, lay the fold across the center of the prepared pie plate, unfold it, and press it loosely into the bottom and sides of the plate. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork, trim and crimp the edges, and place on a heavy baking sheet.
Making the pie
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer until frothy. (Liz: This doesn't take long at all.) Add the corn syrup, flour, vanilla and salt, and beat until well blended.
Stir in the butter and pecans and mix well.
Turn the mixture into the pie shell and bake till the filling is cooked but still soft in the center when the pie is gently shaken, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the pie completely on a rack, then chill slightly, and serve with dollops of whipped cream on top.
(Liz: I'm not sure if this is normal, but when mine came out of the oven, it was all puffed up. If this happens to you, don't worry, it settles back down as it cools.)