This Recipe for Pecan Pie Will be Your Best Yet

This classic recipe is sure to be a dessert time favorite that’s also perfect for your next upcoming holiday. This classic pecan pie recipe from Louisiana Kitchen and Culture is easy to make, guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth, and minimize any kitchen cleanup.

One of the features of this recipe is the instruction to begin by “blind baking” the pie crust. Simply put, “blind baking” a crust is a term for partially baking a pie crust before adding in the pie filling. This baking process is perfect for recipes where the pie filling takes less time to cook than the crust itself. Additionally, it helps to prevent a soggy bottom crust, thus ensuring a perfect texture to your pecan pie through and through.

Ingredients for your crust:

Ingredients for your filling:

  • 1 ½ cups of fresh pecan pieces
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter, sliced into small pieces
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup of heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup of cane syrup
  • ⅔ cup of light brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt

 Directions:

  1. In order to start making the pie crust for this recipe, know that you can either purchase a pre-made pie shell if you’re running low on time or follow the following directions. If making your own, you’ll want to pulse your flour, sugar, and salt together in the bowl of your food processor until the ingredients are combined.
  2. Then, add in your butter and continue to pulse until the small butter pieces are approximately the size of corn kernels, which should take about 10-12 pulses.
  3. Add about 5 tablespoons of water and continue to pulse the dough until it’s no longer dry. When the dough is squeezed into your hand, it should form a ball and hold its shape if it’s no longer dry. If your dough is still dry, you can add another tablespoon or two of the ice-cold water.
  4. Spread some flout onto your baking surface and turn your dough out, forming it into a disk. Then, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it for at least one hour and no longer than three days. If you’re freezing your dough, know that you can freeze it for up to a month and that you should defrost it in the refrigerator overnight before using it.
  5. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325°F, remove your dough from the refrigerator, and allow it to sit out at room temperature for five minutes in order for it to soften.
  6. Once again, flour your work surface and roll your dough into a 12-inch circle that’s about  ⅛ inch thick. Then, fold the dough into quarters and transfer it to a 9½-inch pie plate.
  7. Unfold the dough, fit it into the pie plate, and then trim off all but a ¼ inch of the overhang. Pinch the edge of the dough together to form a crimp by using your thumb and index finger. Chill while you begin to make the pecan pie filling.
  8. Begin the filling by whisking your egg and egg yolks together in a large bowl. Set this aside and combine your cane syrup, sugar, cream, and salt in a medium saucepan.
  9. Add your butter into the saucepan and melt it over medium heat. Once your butter has melted, continue to cook the mixture until it stops bubbling. This should take approximately 1 minute.
  10. Whisk the sugar mixture into the egg yolks gradually, just until the bottom of the bowl is warm to the touch, and then add in your remaining sugar mixture and stir in your vanilla.
  11.  Take your chilling pie plate out of the refrigerator, sprinkle the pecan pieces into the pie crust, and then carefully pour your filling on top. Spread an additional layer of pecan pieces atop the filling to cover the surface and then set the pie into the oven.
  12. Bake your pecan pie until its center has a little resistance, similar to a soft-setting custard, which typically takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Once finished, remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour prior to serving.
  13. Enjoy!

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Top 3 Holiday Dessert Recipes

Holiday desserts are my worst vice so I’m thankful that they are in abundance only once a year.  When else do you find the glorious holiday flavors of gingerbread, eggnog or peppermint? It’s rare.  Holiday desserts almost seem to take on the magic of the season. These desserts with their festive flavors and familiar aromas remind us of our childhood and we can’t help but recall making gingerbread cookies with grandma, sipping on some eggnog while adorning the tree with your favorite ornaments, helping mom make fudge for the neighbors.  Holiday desserts are an experience, not just a treat, and they should be created with that kept in mind.  Below, we have compiled a list of our top 3 holiday faves but you can click here for tons more.  Which is your fave?

  1. Peppermint Brownies

This minty chocolate deliciousness won our number one spot because of its ease, deliciousness and rarity.  Surprisingly, we don’t see a lot of people making this dish even though it’s a completely logical mix. Boxed brownies- is there anything easier or more classic?  The answer is a hard No. Mix in peppermint candies to give it that Winter Wonderland feel, and all your coworkers will think you are Martha Stewart and begin pressing you for your “homemade peppermint brownie recipe.”  Tell them it’s your grandma’s secret, from-scratch recipe. Your secret is safe with us.

INGREDIENTS
1 box brownie mix (I used Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate) – mixed up according to package directions
9 peppermint bark candy chocolate squares, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS
Line a 9×9 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper and grease lightly with non-stick spray. Mix up brownie mix according to package directions. Pour half of the brownie mix into the pan and top with peppermint bark candies. Drop remaining brownie mix in spoonfuls over the top of the peppermint bark candies and spread gently. Bake according to the package directions (about 45 minutes) but be sure to not over bake. Allow to cool, cut and enjoy!

  1. Red Velvet Cake

Our #2 winner is also a unique take on a classic recipe.  RED- The official holiday color. So it makes total sense to whip up something with red velvet to fit in with the holiday theme.  Fancy it up with sugared cranberries and you’ve won Christmas dinner with your fam.

Ingredients
1 2-layer size package German chocolate cake mix
1 8 – ounce container dairy sour cream
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup cooking oil
3 eggs
1 1 – ounce bottle red food coloring (2 tablespoons)
White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 cups coconut shards, purchased coconut chips or flaked coconut, toasted
Sugared cranberries (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9×1-1/2-inch round cake pans or two 8x8x2-inch square baking pans or coat with nonstick spray for baking; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, eggs, and food coloring with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Beat mixture on medium speed for beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake cakes for 25 to 30 minutes for 9-inch pans or 30 to 35 minutes for square pans or until a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks.
Spread White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and over sides and top of the cake. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Cover and chill cake to store. If you like, garnish with sugared cranberries. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

  1. Roasted Pears with Lemon Cream and Roasted Pine Nuts

Our #3 winner is the show stopper.  Complex enough to be served at a 5 star restaurant and embodying that old school holiday feel, this roasted pear dessert will be the talk of the Christmas celebration.  It makes for an amazing presentation so be prepared to wow…. As long as you are up for the challenge. It takes about 45 min of prep time.

Ingredients
Candied Pine Nuts
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Lemon-Cream
1/2 cup lemon curd
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup whipping cream, chilled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Roasted Pears
1/2 of a lemon
8 medium Bosc pears
3/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 whole cloves
Pinch salt

 

Directions
Candied Pine Nuts

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a dry, medium heavy skillet, toast pine nuts over medium-low heat, shaking frequently, until golden and aromatic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a dish; set aside. In the same skillet, cook sugar over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt. Shake pan occasionally, but do not stir. Once the sugar begins to melt, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until fully melted and golden brown. Stir in pine nuts. Pour onto prepared baking sheet. Cool completely. Break or chop into small pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Lemon-Cream

In a chilled medium bowl, beat lemon curd and sour cream with an electric mixer until just combined. Add whipping cream and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened and mounds. Chill, covered, for up to 8 hours.
Roasted Pears

Preheat oven to 400 degrees . Squeeze lemon into a large bowl half full of cool water. Peel pears, leaving stems, and cut a thin slice off bottoms. (Submerge pears upright in water as you work.) In a saucepan, combine apple juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until butter melts and sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Pat pears dry and arrange upright in a 3-quart baking dish. Pour syrup over pears. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown, basting with syrup occasionally. (If syrup thickens too much, add water to pan.) If not serving immediately, pears can sit at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 hours. Rewarm slightly before serving. To serve, arrange pears on dessert plates or a platter. Drizzle with some of the syrup. Dollop Lemon Cream around pears. (Gently stir first if necessary.) Sprinkle with Candied Pine Nuts. If desired, pass remaining syrup, cream and nuts.

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