This pie is important because of its decadent crust. Putting ground, toasted nuts in a pie crust is something that everyone should do once in their life. Twice, even. Pecan pie, to me, is pretty bad. I tend to turn my nose up at desserts that rely on the heavy thickness of nuts to make themselves delicious. However, the brandy in this particular pie does cut the heaviness in a surprising way. You have already read my intense opinion about this phenomenal crust. I also think there is incredible romance to pairing a sickly sweet pie with a completely un-sweetened dollop of whip cream. I will leave the final decision of pecan pie's value up to the reader. Pecan Crust, Pecan Pie
Yield: 1 pie | Total Time: 2-3 hours Recipe from Sister Pie Ingredients For the toasted pecan pie dough: 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup ground toasted pecans 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted European-style butter For the filling: 2/3 cup turbinado sugar 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cubed 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons fine yellow cornmeal 3 large eggs, room temp 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp brandy 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp turbinado sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups whole pecans, toasted 1 large egg, beaten Directions To begin, fill a 1/4 cup measure with water, remove two tablespoons, replace with apple cider vinegar. Combine the flour, pecans, salt, and sugar in a pastry blender. Pulse in the butter until small lumps form. Add the water-vinegar mixture all at once and pulse until barely coming together. Remove the dough from the bowl, place it on a lightly floured counter, and gently pat it into a 2-inch-thick disc, working quickly to seal any broken edges before wrapping it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or, ideally, overnight. Preheat your oven to 450°F. To pre-bake the crust, roll out your crust, place it into your pie tin, and use your fingers to crimp the crust. Let your pie crust sit in the freezer while you tear off a square of aluminum foil that is slightly larger than the pie shell and gather your pie weights. Remove the crust from the freezer, place in the foil, and fill the crust with the pie weights (they should come all the way up to the crimps) and place the pie pan on a baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 25 to 27 minutes. Check for doneness by peeling up a piece of foil—the crimps should be light golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. After 6 minutes, carefully remove the foil and beans. Your crust is now ready for filling. Reduce the heat in your oven to 325°F. Now, make your filling. Place 2/3 cup turbinado sugar and the cubed butter in a small, heatproof bowl. Combine the maple syrup and honey in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and slowly bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the mixture reads 225°F on a candy thermometer. Pour the maple-honey mixture over the turbinado sugar and butter and stir until the butter has completely melted. Whisk in the cornmeal. Set aside to cool slightly. In a separate bowl, whisk the 3 eggs with the vanilla, brandy, and salt. I put WAY less brandy than suggested and still found it to pack a punch. Consider yourself warned. Slowly pour the cooled butter mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Place the blind-baked pecan crust on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with the turbinado sugar–flour mixture, then spread the toasted pecans evenly on top. Brush the crimped edge with the beaten egg. Carefully pour in the filling until it reaches the bottom of the crimps. Use a knife or fork to poke down any pecans that aren’t submerged in the filling. Transfer the baking sheet with the pie on it to the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until puffed around the edges and only slightly jiggly in the center when shaken.
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