~ A Holiday Tradition: My Bourbon Street Pecan Pie~
Pecan pie is almost always associated with a holiday, most noteably, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In my foodie world, if I was limited to making one pie for Thanksgiving, it would be pecan pie. It is so rich and crunchy and yummy, it could and should be classified as candy. Aside from an occasional "nut", I've never met anyone who didn't want a teensy-weensy slice!
A bit about pecan pie: A staple throughout the South, it is said to have been invented by the French who settled in New Orleans, after being introduced to pecans by our Native Americans. But, no written recipes for it can be found prior to 1897, and, The Joy of Cooking didn't include it until 1940. This pie, featuring corn syrup or molasses, was made famous to us Americans by the makers of Karo syrup. They say that it was a 1930's "discovery" of a "new use for corn syrup" by a corporate sales executives wife!
A bit about me and pecan pie!
Believe it or not, I had never tasted a homemade pecan pie prior to 1982. Over New Years, Joe and I had traveled to New Orleans to watch Penn State win the National Championship over Georgia. My first bite of real-deal pecan pie was at Commander's Palace, a NOLA landmark since 1880, and, one of the best restaurants I have ever had the pleasure to dine in. BTW: Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse are two of its most famous kitchen alumnni!
I noticed a slice of pecan pie being delivered to a neighboring table and immediately decided upon it as my my dessert. I am here to tell you, it tasted as good as it looked. It was sweet, but not too sweet, rich, but not too rich, not gunky nor runny. It was silky, crunchy and seasoned with a bit of vanilla a splash of bourbon. All of the horrid pecan pies from my past (especially the ones that contain chocolate, which is complete overkill) flashed before my eyes. It took me a few tries, but, I came up with a recipe that is now an "event" on my Thanksgiving dessert buffet!
It's time to make me some pecan pie!
Whenever I am making a pie, and especially a pecan pie, I always take the time to make homemade pie pastry. If I do say so myself, I make a super-flaky pie pastry and I highly recommend you try my recipe for ~ Making Pate Brisee: Basic Pie or Quiche Pastry ~, found in Categories 6, 15 & 22. After all, my pecan pie recipe deserves all of the the love that only a homemade crust can give!
Prepare and roll the pastry as directed and place in a 9" pie or quiche dish. Using one knuckle and two fingertips, form a decorative border around the perimeter of the dish. Set aside (at room temperature) while preparing the following pecan pie filling:
Note: The crust can be formed and placed in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight, but, it must be returned to room temperature prior to filling and baking. I recommend removing it from the refrigerator just before you start to make the pie filling.
1 pound pecan halves
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, not imitation
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons Wondra Quick-Mixing Flour for Sauce and Gravy
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted (Note: Salted butter really does set this pie filling apart from most others.)
~ Step 1. Choose and set aside 60 of the prettiest, even-sized pecan halves you can find. Set aside.
~ Step 2. Chop the remaining pecans into random bits and pieces. You will have about 2 1/2 cups.
~ Step 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the corn syrup, brown sugar, bourbon, vanilla and salt.
~ Step 4. Whisk in the eggs and flour.
~ Step 5. On stovetop or in microwave, melt the butter and vigoroulsy whisk it into the mixture.
~ Step 6. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in all of the chopped pecans.
~ Step 7. Transfer all of the pie filling into the prepared pie crust. The pie will be filled to the top of the dish, which is exactly where you want it to be.
~ Step 8. Decoratively arrange the remaining pecan halves over the surface of the pie. You might have a few leftover.
~ Step 9. Bake pie on center rack of preheated 350 oven for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees, loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pie and continue to bake for 25 more minutes. Remove from oven, place on a rack and cool completely, 3-4 hours, prior to slicing and serving:
A Holiday Tradition: My Bourbon Street Pecan Pie: Recipe yields 1, 9" pie or 8-12 servings.
Special Equipment List: 9" pie or quiche dish; cutting board; chef's knife; whisk; large rubber spatula; aluminum foil; cooling rack
Cook's Note: For another one of my "event" pies on my Thanksgiving dessert buffet, you can find my recipe for ~ From a Potato to My Southern Sweet Potato Pie ~ in Categories 6 or 18. It's great made with butternut squash as well!
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2012)
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