Ingredients: |
Ingredients: CRUST:
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter
1¼ c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surfaces, divided
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
¼ c cream cheese, chilled
2 Tbsp ice water
2 Tbsp vodka
FILLING:
½ c butter
1 c white corn syrup (such as Karo)
1 c sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
1½ c pecans, plus 10-12 of the prettiest pecan halves reserved
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Directions: |
Directions:1. Cut the cold butter into ¼-inch pieces and place into freezer until needed so it stays very cold. Go ahead and put the cream cheese, vodka, and water in the freezer while you're at it.
2. Process ¾ cups flour, salt, and sugar together in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and cream cheese and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
3. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Do not overmix. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
4. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 425º. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to ¼ cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about ⅛ inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave overhanging dough in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
5. Trim overhang to ½ inch beyond lip of pie plate. Fold overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Flute dough or press the tines of a fork against dough to flatten it against rim of pie plate. Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes.
6. Remove pie pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil, and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or pennies. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake for 5 to 10 minutes additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp. Reduce oven to 325º.
7. While pie crust is blind-baking, prepare filling. Cook butter, syrup, and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring periodically, until butter fully melts, sugar fully dissolves, and the syrup completely comes together. Remove from heat and allow to cool about 15 minutes, stirring to help it to cool more quickly. You want it to be cool enough that the syrup won't cook the eggs when they are added.
8. Add eggs to syrup one at a time, vigorously whisking during and after each addition to prevent the egg whites from cooking. If there are small strands of cooked egg white, use a skimmer, slotted spoon, or fork to fish them out and discard them. Whisk in the vanilla and salt. Stir in the pecans (except the pretty ones you set aside earlier).
9. Pour the pecan-syrup mixture into the prepared pie shell. Arrange reserved pecans over the top of the pie.
10. Bake for 55-65 minutes, covering the exposed crust with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning. The pie is ready to come out when the very center of the pie jiggles the slightest bit when disturbed. If the sides jiggle or it still appears to be liquid, it's not done. It nothing moves at all, it's overcooked. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: This is my favorite pie, and I'm something of a pie expert. I make it every Thanksgiving, and it's something of a legend among my friends. The filling recipe is from Grandma (Ros) and Mom, but I've updated the crust. When Hurricane Opal hit Gulf Breeze, we evacuated, along with Di and Rob and baby Arial, and sheltered overnight in a high school hallway. When we left the next morning, tornadoes had blown a ton of ripe pecans off of the trees on the campus and scattered them across the ground. We gathered up bags of them and put pecans in everything for months.
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