Happy Foodie Friday! These recipes come courtesy of Penny and Eleazar Martinez.
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Each of our Taste Test Reviews comes with the original recipe and the tester's notes/changes listed with the ingredient list in blue. We hope you enjoy!
A Thanksgiving classic, this pecan pie should not be missed! Never having made a pie from scratch, I was a bit nervous before beginning. But the straightforward recipe was simple to follow and made baking the pie a breeze. One important tip is to read the recipe a few times before you begin and ensure you start preparing everything early enough to chill the crust in the freezer for at least an hour before filling and baking the pie.
Overall, the flavor of this pecan pie is delicious. This filling was one of the tastiest I have ever had; the addition of brown sugar gave it more of a mapley flavor which I loved. This pie will be a hit wherever you serve it!
Makes 8 servings (1 pie)
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients for 1 pie crust (or buy already made):
*1 cup all-purpose flour
*2 teaspoons sugar
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*6 tablespoons unsalted cold butter and cut into 12 pieces
*1/4 cup sour cream
Preparation for crust:
*Make the crust first by combining flour, sugar and salt in the canister of a food processor.
*Pulse to combine.
*Sprinkle butter pieces over the mixture and pulse again until coarse crumbs form.
*Add sour cream and pulse again until mixture begins to clump together.
*Carefully remove the dough from the food processor and use your hands to shape it into a ball.
*Flatten slightly into a disc and wrap in cling wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
*Remove chilled pie dough from refrigerator and transfer to a clean, lightly floured surface.
*Allow dough to sit for about 5 minutes and then roll dough out into a 12 inch circle.
*Gently lay the pie crust into a 10 inch pie pan, folding the excess dough over and under the pan’s edge, then crimp the edges with a fork.
*Put crust into freezer until it’s ready to fill. (My mom taught me to always chill the crust for at least an hour)
Ingredients for pie filling:
*2 1/4 cups pecan halves or coarsely chopped pecans
*3 large eggs, room temperature
*2/3 cup dark corn syrup
*1 cup light brown sugar tightly packed
*1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled for several minutes (shouldn't be hot when you add it to your ingredients!)
Preparation for pie filling:
*Preheat oven to 350F.
*Once oven is preheated, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and scatter pecan halves evenly over the surface.
*Transfer to 350F preheated oven and toast for 3-5 minutes.
*Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare the rest of your pecan pie filling.
*In a large bowl, whisk your eggs until pale yellow and foamy (about 30 seconds).
*Add your corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt, and whisk until combined.
*Add melted, slightly cooled butter and whisk to combine.
*Add cooled pecan halves into mixture and stir until completely coated in syrup mixture.
*Pour pecan mixture into your prepared pie plate and transfer to 350F oven.
*Bake 40-50 minutes or until pie is set (the center should not be jiggly). Be sure to check your pie 25 minutes into baking and check periodically after that. If the crust is beginning to brown too quickly, cover your pie with foil to prevent over-browning.
*Allow to cool completely (at least 2 hours) before cutting.
*Cover pecan pie and store leftovers for up to 3 days. I usually keep mine in the refrigerator just to be safe, but this pie tastes best when it’s warm so I recommend reheating it in your microwave!
Recipe and Taste Tester - Alina Gersib