Desserts
Classic Pecan Pie
This familiar dessert of toasted pecans, sweet gooey filling, and flaky crust gets a mini makeover while remaining true to its roots.
To start, use both butter and shortening in the crust for classic flavor and an ultra-tender crumb. A few tablespoons of bourbon creates a foolproof, flaky texture and enhances the toasted pecan flavor.
Swap the often-used, overly sweet, corn syrup with a combination of brown sugar, pure maple syrup, and molasses, to create a deeper, more nuanced flavor in the rich filling. Then please all pecan pie lovers out there and use chopped pecans for the filling and whole pecans — tossed with maple syrup and bourbon — for the top.
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST, WHISK:
FOR THE FILLING, WHISK:
Instructions
For the crust, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, and ½ tsp. salt. Cut in 6 Tbsp. butter and shortening, using a pastry blender, until pea-sized.
Combine water and 2 Tbsp. bourbon, then stir into flour with a rubber spatula, lightly pressing, until dough holds together.
Shape dough into a disk and wrap in plastic; chill at least 1 hour or overnight.
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch circle; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, pressing into bottom. Trim all but 1-inch overhang, fold edge under, and crimp. Prick bottom of crust with a fork; freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400° with rack in lowest position.
Line crust with parchment paper, fill with dried beans or pie weights, and bake until crust is set, about 25 minutes; remove beans and parchment and brush bottom and sides of crust with egg white. Bake crust until golden, 10 minutes; let cool completely.
For the filling, whisk together 1 cup maple syrup, brown sugar, and molasses in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook filling, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes; let cool 5 minutes.
Whisk in 4 Tbsp. butter, 2 Tbsp. bourbon, vanilla, and ¾ tsp. salt. Slowly whisk in eggs until incorporated.
Roughly chop 1 cup pecans and add to filling; pour into prepared crust. Toss remaining 1 cup pecans with 1 Tbsp. maple syrup and 1 Tbsp. bourbon, then arrange over top of pie. Transfer pie to oven and decrease temperature to 325°.
Bake pie until filling is set and center is slightly jiggly, 60–65 minutes. Transfer pie to a rack and let cool completely, 4–5 hours. Serve pie with ice cream.
Cut chilled fat into flour mixture — when baked it melts and leaves pockets to create a flaky crust.
To avoid melting the fats, use a rubber spatula, not your hands, when adding the liquid for the crust.
Fill parchment-lined crust with dried beans before blind baking to keep the crust from puffing.
For a shiny top, toss pecan halves with bourbon and maple syrup before placing on top of filling.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 467
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 41%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 72mg 24%
Sodium 266mg 11%
Carbs 52g 17%
Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 5g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.