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.
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Pecan Pie
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6
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
- This is a bonus recipe for the Real Food Boxes. We have provided only the Pecans, Eggs, and Butter (for the Real Food 3-5 boxes).