Pecan Pie

Ingredients

Sweet Flaky Pastry Dough

Pecan Pie Filling

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • All-purpose flour, for dusting
  • 1 2/3 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 2 1/2 oz. semisweet dark chocolate, chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
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  • 2 teaspoons bourbon whiskey (optional)

Directions

Sweet Flaky Pastry Dough

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

Make a well in the center and add the rest of the ingredients. Again using your fingertips, mix together to make a smooth dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead two or three times. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before using. Makes enough for a 6-serving pie.

Lining a Pan

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface or piece of plastic wrap to 2 inches larger than your pan.

Grease a 9 inches diameter shallow pie plate or tart pan, then lift the dough over a rolling pin and lightly drape it over the pan. Peel away the plastic wrap, if using.

Gently lift the edges of the dough upward and ease the dough into position. Press the dough firmly but gently into place with your fingertips, making sure that there are no gaps between the dough and the pan.

Turn any excess dough outward over the run of the tart pan, then run the rolling pin over the top of the pan so that any excess dough is cut off. Smooth any rough edges with the side of a blunt knife.

Prebaking

Prick the bottom of the pastry shell with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes; this will help to stop it from shrinking during baking.

Place a large piece of nonstick parchment paper over the bottom and sides of the pastry shell. Fill the bottom with pie weights—these are available from cookware department of large department stores and speciality cookware shops—or dried uncooked beans.

Bake in a preheated oven, at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes for a large tart or 8-10 minutes for individual tarts, or until the shell is just set.

Remove the paper and weights and cook empty for another 10 minutes for a large tart or 4-5 minutes for individual tarts, or until the bottom is dry and crisp and the top edges of the tart are golden.

Leave the pie crust in the pan and continue with the recipe.

Pecan Pie Filling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chopped pecans and pecan halves on separate baking sheets and roast them in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the surface of the water does not touch the bowl.

In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and bourbon, if using, then beat in the melted chocolate and butter.

Place the chopped pecans in the lined pie plate, cover with the maple and chocolate mixture, and arrange the pecan halves on top.

Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, or until golden and set. Serve warm, with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Notes:

  • You can use Pure Vanilla Bean Paste in place of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste to achieve a different, but still delicious, flavor profile. Simply use the same amount of the Pure Vanilla Bean Paste.

 

  • When roasting nuts in the oven, keep an eye on them at all times and don’t leave them unattended, because they can burn quickly.

 

Sweet Flaky Pastry Dough

Pecan Pie Filling

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • All-purpose flour, for dusting
  • 170 g chopped pecans
  • 100 g pecan halves
  • 70 g semisweet dark chocolate, chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 200 g plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 160 ml maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
    Buy Now
  • 2 teaspoons bourbon whiskey (optional)

Directions

Sweet Flaky Pastry Dough

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

Make a well in the center and add the rest of the ingredients. Again using your fingertips, mix together to make a smooth dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead two or three times. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before using. Makes enough for a 6-serving pie.

Lining a Pan

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface or piece of plastic wrap to 5 cm larger than your pan.

Grease a 23 cm diameter shallow pie plate or tart pan, then lift the dough over a rolling pin and lightly drape it over the pan. Peel away the plastic wrap, if using.

Gently lift the edges of the dough upward and ease the dough into position. Press the dough firmly but gently into place with your fingertips, making sure that there are no gaps between the dough and the pan.

Turn any excess dough outward over the run of the tart pan, then run the rolling pin over the top of the pan so that any excess dough is cut off. Smooth any rough edges with the side of a blunt knife.

Prebaking

Prick the bottom of the pastry shell with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes; this will help to stop it from shrinking during baking.

Place a large piece of nonstick parchment paper over the bottom and sides of the pastry shell. Fill the bottom with pie weights—these are available from cookware department of large department stores and speciality cookware shops—or dried uncooked beans.

Bake in a preheated oven, at 180 degrees C for 10-15 minutes for a large tart or 8-10 minutes for individual tarts, or until the shell is just set.

Remove the paper and weights and cook empty for another 10 minutes for a large tart or 4-5 minutes for individual tarts, or until the bottom is dry and crisp and the top edges of the tart are golden.

Leave the pie crust in the pan and continue with the recipe.

Pecan Pie Filling

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Place the chopped pecans and pecan halves on separate baking sheets and roast them in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the surface of the water does not touch the bowl.

In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and bourbon, if using, then beat in the melted chocolate and butter.

Place the chopped pecans in the lined pie plate, cover with the maple and chocolate mixture, and arrange the pecan halves on top.

Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, or until golden and set. Serve warm, with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Notes:

  • You can use Pure Vanilla Bean Paste in place of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste to achieve a different, but still delicious, flavor profile. Simply use the same amount of the Pure Vanilla Bean Paste.

 

  • When roasting nuts in the oven, keep an eye on them at all times and don’t leave them unattended, because they can burn quickly.

 

  • Nielsen-Massey time icon

    25 minprep

  • Nielsen-Massey time icon

    1.25 hrscook

  • Nielsen-Massey yield icon

    8servings

This Recipe Uses

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste

Pure Vanilla Bean Paste