[RECIPE] Perfect Pecan Pie | Wisconsin Public Radio

The Perfect Pecan Pie is an excerpt from Prepare dinner’s Illustrated © 1995 by America’s Take a look at Kitchen. Reproduced with permission from America’s Take a look at Kitchen. all rights reserved.

good pecan pie

for 8

what could be the very best pecan pie recipe? pecan pies could be overwhelmingly candy, with no actual nutty taste. and all too usually they end up curdled and separated. what’s extra, the weepy filling makes the underside crust soggy and rubbery. the truth that the crust appears undercooked to start with does not assist. we wished to create a recipe for a not-too-sweet pie with a soft-textured filling and a well-baked backside crust. We addressed this cake’s points through the use of brown sugar and decreasing the quantity, which helped convey out the nutty taste. we additionally partially baked the crust, which saved it crisp. We discovered that it is necessary so as to add the new filling to a heat pie crust, as this helps stop the crust from getting soggy. plus, we discovered that simulating a double boiler when melting the butter and getting ready the filling is a simple approach to preserve a delicate warmth, which helps make sure the filling does not curdle.

• 1 primary single crust pie crust recipe (recipe beneath), scooped right into a 9-inch pie plate and chilled for half-hour
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, minimize into 1-inch items
• 1 packed cup (7 ounces) darkish brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 massive eggs
• 3/4 cup mild corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (8 ounces) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
1. regulate the oven rack to the center place and warmth the oven to 375 levels. cowl chilled pie crust with a double layer of aluminum foil and fill with pie weights. bake till pie crust is dry and light-weight in colour, 25 to half-hour. switch to wire rack and take away weights and foil. (observe that the crust ought to nonetheless be heat when the filling is added.)
2. regulate oven rack to medium-low place and scale back oven temperature to 275 levels.
3. soften the butter in a heatproof bowl positioned in a pan of water heated to only beneath a simmer. take away bowl from pan and add sugar and salt, stirring till butter is absorbed.
4. Beat the eggs, then the corn syrup and vanilla till easy. return bowl to sizzling water and stir till combination is shiny, sizzling to the contact, and registers 130 levels.
5. take away from warmth; add pecans. pour into the new pie batter. bake till filling appears to be like agency however flexes when gently pressed with the again of a spoon, 50 to 60 minutes.
6. Let pie cool on wire rack till filling is agency, about 2 hours. serve barely heat (reheat in a 250 diploma oven for about quarter-hour) or at room temperature.

primary pie crust from a single crust

depend on this pie crust for a constantly flaky and flavorful crust. Conducting it got here all the way down to figuring out the right fats, the right ratio of fats to flour, and the right methodology of mixing them. a ratio of three components butter to 2 components shortening proved optimum for each taste and texture, and a high-fat ratio of two components flour to 1 half fats produced a young, workable dough.

• 1 1/4 cups (6-1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons shortening, minimize into 1/2-inch items and refrigerated
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, minimize into 1/4-inch items and chilled
• 4-6 tablespoons of ice chilly water
1. course of flour, sugar, and salt in a meals processor till mixed. unfold shortening over high and course of till combination resembles coarse cornmeal, about 10 seconds. sprinkle chunks of butter on high and pulse till combination resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. switch the combination to a medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of ice water over combination. stir and press down on the dough with a stiff rubber spatula, till the dough sticks collectively. if the dough does not come collectively, add the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, till it simply comes collectively.
3. Invert dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into 4-inch disk. wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
4. earlier than rolling out the dough, let it relaxation on the counter to melt a bit, about 10 minutes.