Pecan Pie
This is a recipe for a traditional pecan pie, which is a popular dessert in many parts of the southern USA. Pecan pies are often served on holidays and special occasions, most commonly at Christmas and Thanksgiving Day meals.
- Prep
- 58 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 15 min
- Total
- 3 hr 13 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Spread whole pecans onto a baking sheet and roast in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 minutes.
Procedure
Allow the pecans to cool, then chop coarsely.
Procedure
Dice butter into cubes and place butter and shortening in freezer for 20–30 minutes.
Procedure
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse several times to mix.
Procedure
Add the butter and shortening, and pulse 8–12 times until the butter is the size of peas.
Procedure
Mix the water and vinegar together.
Procedure
With the processor running, pour the water/vinegar mixture down the feed tube and pulse until the mixture begins to come together into a dough.
Procedure
Dump the dough out onto a board and press it together, forming the dough into a disk.
Procedure
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.
Procedure
Roll out dough on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center out, turning and flouring so the dough does not stick to the board.
Procedure
Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer to a 9-inch pie dish.
Procedure
Mold the dough into the pie dish, pushing the dough into the corners.
Procedure
Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork to help prevent the crust from puffing up when baking.
Procedure
Place the pie shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Procedure
Line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (or dried beans).
Procedure
Place the pie dish on a cookie sheet and bake the pie shell for 20 minutes at 375°F (190°C) on the middle oven rack.
Procedure
Remove pie weights by lifting out the parchment paper. Continue to bake pie shell for another 10 minutes.
Procedure
While the pie crust is baking, proceed to making the filling:
Procedure
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
Procedure
Stir in the brown sugar and salt until combined.
Procedure
Add the corn syrup, and bring the mixture up to a boil, stirring occasionally so the filling does not burn on the bottom of the saucepan.
Procedure
Continue to stir and allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
Procedure
Stir in the bourbon, vanilla, and chopped pecans.
Procedure
Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Procedure
Beat the eggs and stir them into the cooled mixture a little at a time.
Procedure
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
Procedure
Pour the filling into the hot pie crust.
Procedure
Place the pie dish still on a cookie sheet back into the oven on the lower 3rd over rack; if you have a pie shield, put it in place to prevent the edges of the crust from getting too brown.
Procedure
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45 minutes, filling should still be slightly jiggly when removed from oven.
Procedure
Allow pie to cool on a cooling rack for 2–4 hours. Pie will cool to doneness.
Procedure
Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes, tips, and variations
Don't skip the pecan roasting process. Roasting the pecans greatly enhances the flavor and texture of the nuts. It is best to roast the pecans whole and then chop after roasting. Roasting the nuts whole helps to ensure even roasting of the nuts.
Notes, tips, and variations
If you prefer the look of a lighter-colored filling, you can substitute light brown sugar for the dark brown sugar.
Warnings
Filling will be extremely hot immediately after the pie is taken from the oven and is continuing to cook to doneness as it cools, so let it cool for at least an hour before you cut into it.
Photo: Quinn Dombrowski · CC BY-SA 2.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0 · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 34 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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