Our Favourite Pecan Pie

Pecan season is here which can only mean one thing - its time to make a pecan pie!

This recipe makes a 22cm pie and to make things a little easier, you can make the pie crust in advance and store in the fridge for up to 3 days - just make sure to wrap it tightly in compostable cling wrap first. 

Once cooked, this pie will store in a container in the refrigerator for 4-5 day. You can eat it cold, at room temp, or heat it slightly. It's up to you!

Ingredients

Pie Crust

150g all-purpose flour
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
115g cold unsalted butter, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup ice water

Filling

4 large eggs, room temperature, divided
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp bourbon
1tbsp milk
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cup pecan halves

Method

Pie Crust 

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix until combined.

2. Next you need to cut in the butter. This is the process of breaking cold butter into smaller and smaller chunks while coating the pieces of butter with dry ingredients like flour. Unlike mixing or creaming, which fully incorporates the butter, this method leaves small pieces of butter intact before baking.

Place the diced butter evenly over the dry ingredients. Use two knives or two forks to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is evenly dispersed into pea-sized (or smaller) bits. 

3. Once you have pea sized peices of butter, sprinkle the dough with the ice water and use a spatula to mix the water into the dough until it is evenly combined, and the dough begins to form moist clumps. 

4. Once you have moist clumps, stop adding water and use your hands to pack the dough into a ball. Flatten the ball into a 2cm high disk. Then wrap it tightly in compostable cling wrap and chill for atleast 1 hour before rolling it out to fit your pie dish.

5. When you are ready to roll out the dough, transfer to a well-floured work surface and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Lightly dust the top of the dough and the rolling pin with flour and then gently roll the dough into a circle that is at least 30cm in diameter and just less than half a cm thick.

6. Gently transfer dough to the pie dish, and gently press the dough into the sides of the plate without stretching it. Use a knife to trim off any excess pastry, leaving about a 1-inch border of crust around the top of the pie plate. Chill the pie crust for at least 15 minutes before blind baking.

Tip: You can leave the crust in the fridge for up to 3 days if you want to make it in advance.

7. To blind-bake the crust use a fork to poke a few holes in the bottom of the chilled crust. Then use parchment paper to line the inside of the crust and fill the bottom of the crust with pie weights or dried beans.

8. Bake immediately at 200°C for 15 minutes.

9. Remove the diish from the oven, and lift out the parchment and weights and set them aside. Be careful as these will be hot. 

Tip: If the bottom of the crust has started to bubble up, poke it with the fork.

Filling 

1. Decrease the oven heat to 175°C

2. Whisk three eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, bourbon, flour, vanilla, salt and ground cinnamon together in a large bowl until combined.

3. Add melted butter and whisk in until combined.

4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together one egg and a tablespoon of milk until combined. Brush the egg wash lightly over the edges of the pie crust.

5. Arrange the pecans in the pie crust, you can make a pattern or just spread them evenly. Then pour the sauce evenly over the top of the pecans.

6. Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.

Tip: If the pecans seem to be browning too quickly you can carefully place some tinfoil over the pie. Try to make sure there is room for the filling to rise during baking.

7. You will know the pie is read when the filling has rised slightly like a dome.Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it rest until it reaches room temperature. As it cools the filling will become flat again. 

8. Enjoy! We like to serve ours with some nice vanilla icecream while its still a little warm.