I was supposed to post this recipe a full month ago, when I actually baked this pecan pie. I brought it to my BF’s Thanksgiving dinner, and had planned to post the recipe on Thursday morning. But instead I went for a run, got distracted by the Thanksgiving parade, then traipsed off to India for an epic wedding and a Taj Mahal sighting, and then, well … here we are.
Thankfully, pecan pie is welcome all the time, especially when chestnuts are roasting o’er an open fire and Jack Frost is nipping at your nose. You may still be on the hook to bring something to Christmas dinner, and what better than a homemade pecan pie that exudes caramel-and-toasted-nut flavors and pairs delightfully with barely sweetened whipped cream or better yet, a scoop of vanilla ice cream?
In the nearly 500 posts on this blog, I’ve never made a real pie. Sure, there are galettes and hand pies and tarts, but not a real roll-out-a-pie-crust-and-fill-it-with-things pie. The truth is, pie crusts terrified me a bit. There are all those stories of shrinkage and tearing and to parbake or not to parbake, and frankly, graham cracker crusts are so glorious that why even bother?
But when told that my BF’s mother loved pecan pie, I had to oblige. And no store-bought crust would do. So I turned, as I often do in times of need, to Smitten Kitchen. Deb’s pecan pie recipe had everything I was looking for (easy pie crust, lots of pecans, the extra but oh-so-necessary step of toasting your nuts) and one curious addition: golden syrup.
As a semi-responsible eater, I know all about the problems with high-fructose corn syrup, but my biggest issue with cooking with it is that it has no flavor other than tooth-achingly sweet. And, in my 28 years on Earth, I’ve been burned by a fair number of pecan pies that seem perfectly fine on the outside, but when you bite in, offer little more than saccharine goo.
But golden syrup, a popular British alternative to honey (also called light treacle or cane sugar syrup) is more caramel-y and has a pinch of salt, so it gives this pecan pie a depth of flavor that corn syrup could only dream of. (It’s also the base for treacle tart, Harry Potter’s favorite dessert, and you best believe that I’ll be using the rest of my golden syrup to make this while marathoning HP at some point this winter.) I found it pretty easily in NYC (at Whole Foods, D’Agostino’s and Morton-Williams, in case anyone’s wondering) but if you’re having trouble tracking it down, Amazon‘s got your back.
If you space out the pie crust-making and the pecan pie-baking, the recipe is extremely manageable. I did everything in one day and it was still very doable. I had a bit of trouble figuring out when exactly the pie was done baking, and would recommend you pull it out a few minutes before you think it’s ready, since the pie will set further as it cools. I probably could have baked it 2-3 minutes less, but let me tell you — not a single person at Thanksgiving dinner complained. The pie disappeared entirely, and I left with a request to make it next year. So if you’re looking for a way to “win” Christmas or just make your family extremely happy this holiday season, look no further than this pecan pie. I promise it was worth the wait.
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PinIngredients
For the crust
- 1–1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1–1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
- 1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup very cold water, plus an additional tablespoon if needed
For the filling
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup golden syrup
- A pinch or two of sea salt
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- Make the pie dough: In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Use your fingers (or a pastry blender) to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal and the largest bits of butter are the size of tiny peas. Add the quarter-cup of cold water and stir with a spoon until large clumps form. Use your hands to knead the dough together in the bowl. If necessary to bring the dough together, add the last tablespoon of water.
- Wrap the dough in a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to 48 hours (or you can quick-firm this in the freezer for 15 minutes). You can also make this dough ahead of time and freeze it.
- Form the crust: On a floured counter, roll the dough out into a 12- or 13-inch circle-ish shape. Gently wrap the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it to a 9-inch standard (not deep-dish) pie plate. Unfurl the dough and trim the overhang to about 1/2 inch. Crimp the overhang decoratively, then place in the freezer for 20 minutes, until solid.
- Par-bake the crust: Preheat the oven 400F. Line the frozen crust with lightly buttered or oiled foil. Fill it with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and let cool a little before filling.
- Reduce the heat to 350F. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring once or twice so that they toast evenly. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, golden syrup and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans, cider vinegar and vanilla extract. Pour the filling into a bowl so that it cools faster and set the mixture aside to cool for 10-15 minutes. Whisk in one egg at a time until combined. Pour the mixture into a prepared pie shell.
- Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes. The pie is done when the edges are set and puffed slightly, and the center is slightly firm to the touch but still has some jiggle to it. Cool on a rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- You can make this pie one day ahead. Cover loosely with foil and keep at room temperature until ready to serve.
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