Caramel Pecan Pie
Caramel Pecan pie - beautiful, satiny pecans in a brown sugar, translucent, caramel custard. The flaky crust takes it to a natural conclusion - All Gone!
Caramel Pecan Pie
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
¼ cup heavy cream
1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shelled pecans, chopped
9″ unbaked pie crust
1/3 cup shelled pecan halves
1 cup whipping cream
3 - 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain yogurt (optional)
toffee bits for garnish
-Preheat oven to 400°. Line a 9″ pie pan with the pastry.
-Beat eggs well in a large bowl. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, melted butter, 1/4 cup heavy cream and vanilla to the eggs, and mix thoroughly.
-Sprinkle chopped pecans in pastry-lined pie plate, pressing gently into bottom and sides of pastry. Pour egg mixture over pecans.
-Set pie on the middle rack of oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325° and bake for 35 - 40 minutes longer, or until set and the center doesn’t wiggle when you shake it gently. (If the top of the pie begins to over-brown, loosely lay a piece of foil over the top to keep it from browning more.)
-Remove from oven. Decorate edges with reserved pecan halves. Let cool to room temperature then garnish with dollops of sweetened whipped cream. (Add yogurt to the whipped cream if desired once the cream has formed soft peaks.) Sprinkle dollops with toffee bits. Pie can be served slightly warm, at room temperature or chilled. Makes 8 - 10 servings.
Pie Crust Pastry
I can’t make up my mind about the best pie crust recipe and flit from one to the other to find the perfect one. In truth, I like almost all of them and claim one to be my favorite for a while, then try another and use it for a while, back to my original favorite, then try another for a while and on and on. Following are 3 recipes that give a flaky, delicate result almost every time if a few caveats are followed in every case:
#1 - Once you have added the liquid to the dry ingredients, do not overhandle. Just lightly toss the mixture together until the ingredients start to adhere to one another. Use a light touch and work using 10 -1 2 mixings with your hands as you work toward creating a ball. The ball should be shaggy and uneven.
#2 - Press the “ball” into a disc on parchment paper, waxed paper or plastic wrap, then cover tightly and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. The chilling process will result in a flakier crust.
Pie Crust #1:
3 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar ½ cup cold butter 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1/3 cup ice water 1 tablespoon vinegar 1 egg, beaten
-Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender or by hand until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (This can be done in a food processor by pulsing the ingredients together about 10 times.)
-In another bowl, mix water, vinegar and egg. Add the liquid mixture a bit at a time to the flour mixture, tossing with hands until water is distributed (or pulsing a few times in the food processor.) Form dough into a flat, thick disc handling as little as possible. Wrap dough disc in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes in fridge.
-Roll dough out for pie pan between 2 pieces of lightly floured waxed or parchment paper. Place in pie plate, crimping edges then chill for 30 minutes before filling and baking.
Pie Crust #2 by Erin McDowell
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
¼ cup ice water, plus more as needed
-In a medium bowl whisk together flour and salt. Using your hands, toss butter through flour until each piece is well-coated. Cut butter into flour by pressing butter between your fingers and thumbs, flattening the cubes into big shards. For a flaky crust, mix until butter pieces are about the width of walnut halves. For a sturdier crust (for custard pies and for use with decorative techniques), mix until the butter is about the size of peas.
-Make a well in center of flour mixture. Start by adding 1/4 cup ice water and tossing the flour mixture gently (rather than stirring) to moisten and incorporate the water without overworking the flour. Continue adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, and tossing until dough comes together. (Dough should hold together easily without feeling wet or sticky.)
-Form dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
-Once well chilled, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until it's about 1/8-inch thick. Press firmly and evenly, rotating the dough as you work to prevent sticking without adding too much flour. (Ideally dough will also be about 1 inch wider than your pie plate on all sides.)
-To transfer dough to pie plate, starting at one end of dough, wrap it around the rolling pin. Lift pin to edge of pie plate and unfurl the dough. Press dough into the base of the pie plate and trim excess dough to 1/2 inch around outside edge of pie plate. Tuck dough under to be flush with the outer rim of pie plate. Crimp edges as desired, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
-To parbake: Use a fork to prick chilled crust all over base and sides. Cut a square of parchment paper slightly larger than pie plate and press it into base of chilled crust. Fill crust with pie weights (such as dried beans) to brim, making sure weights are flush against sides. Place pie plate on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake on bottom rack of 425°F oven (preferably on a preheated baking stone) 12 to 15 minutes or until outer edge begins to brown. Remove parchment and pie weights and bake 2 to 3 minutes more or until bottom crust appears set. If crust puffs at any point, prick air bubble with a fork to deflate. Let cool completely before filling. Makes one single crust.
Pie Crust #3: Recipe by John Kirkwood
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup shortening 4 tablespoons chilled butter 1 ½ teaspoons vinegar 1/3 cup cold water
-In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in butter and shortening with a fork or pastry blender lifting and breaking down the fat with fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in cold water with a wooden spoon or fork and pat mixture into a ball, handling it as little as possible. (Add a tablespoon of additional water if mixture is too dry.) Pat together into a loose ball then form into a flat, thick disc and wrap with clear plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
Edge the warm pie with the pecan halves for a nice concentric design.
Garnish with dollops of sweetened whipped cream and toffee bits.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**If you prefer a bit less sweetness, add the yogurt to the whipping cream along with the sugar, once you have reached soft peaks. Continue beating cream mixture until stiff enough to hold its shape. (The yogurt takes the edge off the sweetness without being too pronounced.)
**Some bakers suggest that you mix the dry ingredients for your pie crust just until the fat is broken down to the size of peas. They insist this creates a flakier crust. Others suggest breaking down the fast to the point where it resembles cornmeal. My verdict is still out. Try both and see which you prefer.
**To make a Chocolate Pecan Pie, prepare a chocolate ganache while your pie is baking, by bringing 1 cup of heavy or whipping cream to a boil. Remove from heat and pour 1 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate pieces into the cream. Let stand for 15 minutes without stirring. Then stir with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. Let sit at room temperature for 30 - 45 minutes until it is of spreading consistency. Once the pie has cooled to room temperature, pour/spread the ganache over the top, then place the half pecans around the edges and garnish with whipped cream and toffee bits.
