Pecan Nut Pie is probably one of my all time favourite desserts. Served warm with a dollop of good quality vanilla ice cream…. It doesn’t get much better for me. What adds to the deliciously nutty and caramelly flavour in this recipe is browning the butter. It makes that world of difference to the depth of flavour. I also love serving it with a few berries as the tartness counteracts the sweetness of the pie a little.
Pecan Nut Pie
Pecan Nut Pie is probably one of my all time favourite desserts. Served warm with a dollop of good quality vanilla ice cream…. It doesn't get much better for me. What adds to the deliciously nutty and caramelly flavour in this recipe is browning the butter. It makes that world of difference to the depth of flavour. I also love serving it with a few berries as the tartness counteracts the sweetness of the pie a little.
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Ingredients
Crust
- 1½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Salt
- 115 grams Unsalted Butter Cold or frozen
- 3 – 4 Tbsp Cold/Ice Water
Filling
- 2 Cups Brown sugar I used a mixture of Dark Muscovado and normal brown sugar
- ¾ Cup Unsalted butter, melted and browned
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1½ Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1½ Tbsp Fresh Cream
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups Pecan Nuts, plus extra for garnish Roughly chopped
Instructions
Crust
- Sieve of whisk together the flour, sugar and salt
- Grate the chilled butter into the flour mixture, cutting it in with a sharp knife or pastry cutter. Then add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until it comes together as a dough. This can also be done in a food processor or stand mixer if you wish
- Do not overwork the dough. It is fine if there are bits of butter visible in the dough. If the dough is too dry and crumbly, add a dash more water a teaspoon at a time. This should not be a wet dough but should also not be dry and crumbly
- Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes
- Remove the dough from the fridge and place the dough onto a lightly floured surface or board and roll out into a circular shape, a little larger than the pie dish you are planning to use. If using a ceramic or glass dish then ensure that you very lightly grease it with non-stick cooking spray before placing the pastry inside. I used a 20cm non stick pie dish with a removable bottom, which does not need greasing as the pastry includes a lot of butter
- Place the dough into the pie dish and ensure that the bottom and sides are covered*. The pastry is soft and will most likely break when moving, so patch any holes or cracks if you need to. Place in the fridge for around 30 minutes while you preheat your oven
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. When hot, remove the pastry case from the fridge, dock the bottom with a fork and line with baking paper. Use baking beans, or dried beans or rice to weigh down the pastry. Make sure that no pastry is visible at this point. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the baking paper and beans/weights and bake uncovered for a further 5 minutes (the crust should just be mostly 'dry', not browned at all as it is going to bake for a long time with the filling in). Remove and let cool slightly while you prepare the filling (leave the oven on)
Filling
- Add the butter to a saucepan and let it brown slightly on medium heat. This will give it a lovely nutty, caramelly flavour. When it starts changing colour, add the sugar and stir for a couple of minutes until it starts to dissolve (It will not dissolve completely, this will just help it not to be too grainy). Remove from the heat and let cool slightly
- In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy and fluffy, then beat in browned butter and sugar mixture. Keep mixing as you add this if the butter is still a bit warm as not to cook the eggs
- Beat until everything is incorporated and the sugar is dissolved
- Sprinkle in the flour, cinnamon and salt, then stir in heavy cream and vanilla extract
- Once fully incorporated, fold in the chopped pecans, then pour the mixture into pie crust
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until center is just set and no longer jiggly
- If you want to decorate the top with additional pecan nuts, add them to the top of the pie around 10 – 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, before the top is fully set but so that they do not burn
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving
Notes
*I roll the circle of dough over my rolling pin for ease of transfer to the pie dish, then place it loosely over the pie dish and work it into the corners and sides with my fingers.
Feel free to make the dough the night before and leave in the fridge overnight. In fact, the dough can be made two to three days ahead of time if left in the fridge, and will last in the freezer for a couple of weeks if you have made a larger batch. If frozen, place in the fridge to defrost slowly for a day or two before it’s needed.
You can even bake the pie crust the day before if you wish. Then just add the filling when you are ready to bake it.
Tried this recipe?Post your pics and tag us at @my_homemade_kitchen_za or #myhomemadekitchen!
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