http://leitesculinaria.com/4262/recipes-southern-pecan-pie.html#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed Recipes, Food, and Cooking Blog Thu, 24 May 2012 20:24:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://leitesculinaria.com/4262/recipes-southern-pecan-pie.html#comment-19789 Testers' Choice Sat, 23 Oct 2010 01:31:16 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=4262#comment-19789 [Karen Taylor] I love pecan pie, but I hate overly sweet things, a category in which most pecan pies fall. This one, I am happy to report, is not most pecan pies. The description by other testers of a "custardy" filling is accurate, and it's the light, soft, fragrant custard that makes this pie really special. I do have disagreements about how the recipe was written, however: I needed far more than 4 tablespoons of ice water. I used 7 and the pie dough still barely held together—the pastry came out fine, but it was definitely not my favorite part of the pie. Next, it didn't seem logical to prick the bottom of the crust when the recipe doesn’t call for it to be baked prior to filling. Third, I was suspicious of the instructions to "beat the eggs with an electric mixer till frothy." The vague description was not very helpful, but I did as I was told. I did this knowing that this half-frothed base would probably result in a high-rising pie that would deflate as it cooled. As predicted, the pie came out with the filling rising about an inch and a half above the crust, only to sink just below the crust line when fully cooled. It didn't make an impact on taste and texture that I noticed. Next time though, I’ll just beat the eggs thoroughly without frothing them. Lastly, the pie took about 65 minutes to bake and fully set, just over the recipe-specified time, but not by much. The center was set and the crust was nicely browned but nowhere near burning when I pulled it out. [Karen Taylor] I love pecan pie, but I hate overly sweet things, a category in which most pecan pies fall. This one, I am happy to report, is not most pecan pies. The description by other testers of a “custardy” filling is accurate, and it’s the light, soft, fragrant custard that makes this pie really special. I do have disagreements about how the recipe was written, however: I needed far more than 4 tablespoons of ice water. I used 7 and the pie dough still barely held together—the pastry came out fine, but it was definitely not my favorite part of the pie. Next, it didn’t seem logical to prick the bottom of the crust when the recipe doesn’t call for it to be baked prior to filling. Third, I was suspicious of the instructions to “beat the eggs with an electric mixer till frothy.” The vague description was not very helpful, but I did as I was told. I did this knowing that this half-frothed base would probably result in a high-rising pie that would deflate as it cooled. As predicted, the pie came out with the filling rising about an inch and a half above the crust, only to sink just below the crust line when fully cooled. It didn’t make an impact on taste and texture that I noticed. Next time though, I’ll just beat the eggs thoroughly without frothing them. Lastly, the pie took about 65 minutes to bake and fully set, just over the recipe-specified time, but not by much. The center was set and the crust was nicely browned but nowhere near burning when I pulled it out.

]]> http://leitesculinaria.com/4262/recipes-southern-pecan-pie.html#comment-7119 Testers' Choice Fri, 27 Apr 2007 03:29:00 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=4262#comment-7119 [Naomi Shulman] This pie is extraordinarily simple and quick to prepare, and it has a perfect balance of flavors. It isn't overly sweet, and the subtle vanilla custard goes beautifully with the pecan topping. Ideal for the holiday season. I'll be adding it as a new Thanksgiving favorite. [Naomi Shulman] This pie is extraordinarily simple and quick to prepare, and it has a perfect balance of flavors. It isn’t overly sweet, and the subtle vanilla custard goes beautifully with the pecan topping. Ideal for the holiday season. I’ll be adding it as a new Thanksgiving favorite.

]]> http://leitesculinaria.com/4262/recipes-southern-pecan-pie.html#comment-7117 Testers' Choice Fri, 27 Apr 2007 03:26:36 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=4262#comment-7117 [Leanne Abe] This is my idea of a near-perfect pecan pie. I used shortening for the crust and, while it was flaky, it lacked some flavor I get with butter, so perhaps a mixture would work best. I didn't have in-season pecans, but I think the pie turned out well, in spite of it. My ideal pecan pie has a texture less like a sticky gooey pie and more of a sweet custard structure. This one hits the mark so closely, I'm willing to give up looking for new recipes. I would prefer a touch more sugar, but everything else is spot-on. No whipped cream needed, no sharing needed, either. [Leanne Abe] This is my idea of a near-perfect pecan pie. I used shortening for the crust and, while it was flaky, it lacked some flavor I get with butter, so perhaps a mixture would work best. I didn’t have in-season pecans, but I think the pie turned out well, in spite of it. My ideal pecan pie has a texture less like a sticky gooey pie and more of a sweet custard structure. This one hits the mark so closely, I’m willing to give up looking for new recipes. I would prefer a touch more sugar, but everything else is spot-on. No whipped cream needed, no sharing needed, either.

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