Pecan Pie

For those of you who would like to try this traditional pecan pie from Edna Lewis, here’s her oh-so-rich recipe with an optional splash of Bourbon. You’ll have the pecans from your Real Food Box, but you’ll need to check your pantry for a few additional items.

Pecan Pie

2015-01-07 17:37:29

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Ingredients

Eggs - 3, lightly beaten
Sugar - 1 cup
Light Corn Syrup - 1/2 cup
Dark Corn Syrup - 1/2 cup
Unsalted Butter - 1/3 cup, melted
Bourbon - 2 TB (optional)
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Pecans - 1 1/2 cups, coarsely chopped
Pie Shell
Flour - 1 1/2 cups
Kosher salt - 1 tsp
Butter - 8 TB
Ice Water - 4-6 TB

Instructions

For the crust: Place the flour, salt, and sugar on a large cutting board, blending with your fingers. Put butter on top of flour mixture, and use a knife or pastry fold the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal -- leaving some butter pieces chunky. About 1/2 of the butter should be cut finely into the flour and the other half left in larger chunks.
Quickly gather the mixture into a mound and use your fingers to draw a long trench through the center. Sprinkle 1 TB of the ice water down the length of the trench, and fluff the flour so it absorbs the water. Redraw the trench and continue tablespoon by tablespoon until 4 TB have been incorporated into the flour, and the dough begins clumping together into large pieces.
Gather the dough into a mass with a pastry scraper and then use the heel of your hand to knead hunks of the dough in a "smearing" motion, pushing it away from you until the whole mass has been processed this way — about 6 "smears" in all. Then gather the dough together and repeat.
Shape it into a flat disk, then wrap in plastic wrap, pressing firmly with the palm of your hand to flatten the wrapped dough further to bind it. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight before rolling and using.
Roll out the chilled dough into a circle 1 1/2 inches larger than your pie pan. Line the pan with the dough and trim to leave a 1/2-inch overhang of pastry around the pan. Fold this under, forming a thick edge on the rim of the pan.

FOR THE FILLING

Pre-heat the oven to 375° F
Mix the eggs, sugar, corn syrups, butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt until well blended.
Prick the sides and bottom of the pie shell at 1/2-inch intervals. Spread pecans on the bottom of the pastry, and pour the egg-syrup mixture over them. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until just set, but still slightly loose in the center. The pie will finish setting as it cools.
Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack before serving.

Notes