What is the holidays without the pie? It kind of doesn't exist. My relationship with pie in general all comes down to pecan pie. I am obsessed with that flaky crust, smooth sweet custard filled and crunchy pecan topping.
This essential Thanksgiving dessert comes together to quickly. For such a complicated looking pie, it is actually embarrassingly easy. Once you have your pie crust rolled out and ready in the pie dish, the filling comes together by simply combining a handful of ingredients together and pouring in. There is no need for an intricate basket-weaved layer on top or anything else fancy with the pecans on the top. The pecans will rise up to the top during the cooking process. I know, amazing right?
I would recommend making this pie a day in advance or at least the morning. This is because you want the filling to have lots of time to really set. Plus, this pie is best served at room temperature, so it takes several hours for it to cool down to just that. You can also freeze any leftovers, or freeze the whole pie, and thaw it back to room temperature when you are ready to serve.
Top up with some whipped cream or serve with ice cream on the side.
Fun Fact
Pecan pie originated in the end of 19th century in Texas but got widely spread only in mid-1920s by the manufacturer of Karo syrup who started printing the recipe on cans of their product.
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Classic Old Fashioned Pecan Pie
- Yield: 6-8
Description
Classic old fashioned pecan pie is an essential Thanksgiving dessert! Try this easy to follow recipe to get that flaky crust, smooth custard filling and pecan topping.
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- 1 + ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup butter, cubed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2-4 tablespoons cold water
Pie Filling:
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup golden corn syrup
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups pecan halves (plus more to line the top, optional)
Instructions
Make the Pie Crust:
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, butter, and salt using a pastry blender or two knives and cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger lumps.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated. Squeeze some dough together a small ball. If it does not hold together, add more water, ½ tablespoon at a time and test again.
- Form the dough into a ball (do not overwork the dough) and flatten into a disc.
- Wrap the disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Make the Pie:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled pie crust dough into a 12-inch circle using a lightly floured rolling pin. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the dough to a 1-inch overhang and fold it over to form a rim. Using your fingers, pinch the rim to create a crimped edge or use a fork and press down on the rim to form an edge. Lightly prick the bottom all over with a fork (helps to release the air during baking). Transfer the pie plate to chill in the refrigerator.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, corn syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until combined. Mix in the pecans and carefully pour pie filling into chilled pie crust.
- Bake pie for 40 to 50 minutes until the top of the pie is golden and the filling has set (slightly jiggles when you gently shake the pie dish). After 20 minutes of baking, cover the pie loosely with foil to prevent the crust from excessive browning.
- Cool pie completely for several hours and serve with whipped cream or ice cream. .
- Category: Dessert
