Scarlett WPecan Pie
June 27th 2007 08:06
Pecan Pie
About Pie
A pie is a baked food, with a baked shell usually made of pastry that covers or completely contains a filling of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, cheeses, creams, chocolate, custards, nuts, or other sweet or savoury ingredients. Pies can be either “one-crust”, where the filling is placed in a dish and covered with a pastry/potato mash top before baking, or “two-crust”, with the filling completely enclosed in the pastry shell. Some pies have only a bottom crust, generally if they have a sweet filling that does not require cooking. These bottom-crust-only pies may be known as tarts or tartlets. An example of a bottom-crust-only pie that is savoury rather than sweet is a quiche. Tarte Tatin is a one-crust fruit pie that is served upside-down, with the crust underneath. Blind-baking is used to develop a crust’s crispiness, and keep it from becoming soggy under the burden of a very liquid filling. If the crust of the pie requires much more cooking than the chosen filling, it may also be blind-baked before the filling is added and then only briefly cooked or refrigerated. Pie fillings range in size from tiny bite-size party pies or small tartlets, to single-serve pies (e.g. a pastry) and larger pies baked in a dish and eaten by the slice. The type of pastry used depends on the filling. It may be either a butter-rich flaky or puff pastry, a sturdy shortcrust pastry, or, in the case of savoury pies, a hot water crust pastry.
About Pecan
The pecan is a species of hickory native to southeastern North America, from southern Iowa and Indiana south to Texas and Mississippi. The nuts of the Pecan are edible, with a rich, buttery flavour. They can be eaten fresh or used in cooking, particularly in sweet desserts but also in some savory dishes. One of the most common desserts with the pecan as a central ingredient is the pecan pie, a traditional southern U.S. recipe. Pecans are also a major ingredient in praline candy, most often associated with New Orleans.
In addition to the pecan nut, the wood of the pecan tree is also used in making furniture, in hardwood flooring, as well as flavouring fuel for smoking meats.
Pecan Nuts
About Pâte Brisée
This is a flavourful pastry dough that is quick to make and easy to roll out. The pastry can be made in a food processor, electric mixer, or by hand. Just make sure the butter and water are cold and don’t over mix this dough or it will be tough after baking. Pâte brisée is pronounced path bree-ZAY. It is a French short crust pastry dough made from a mixture of flour, a little sugar, salt, butter, and ice water. It has a high ratio of fat to flour which gives the pastry its crumbly texture and buttery flavour. Used in both sweet and savory pastries.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 6 – 8 servings
1 recipe pâte brisée
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter extract
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup coarsely broken unsalted pecans
2 tablespoons butter, melted
For the pâte brisée (makes one 8- or 9-inch crust)
1¼ cup flour
6 tablespoons cold sweet butter, cut into bits
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
¼ teaspoon salt
1. To prepare the pâte brisée, in a large bowl, cut the butter, shortening, and salt into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Add 3 tablespoons ice water, toss the mixture until the water is incorporated, and form the dough into a ball.
3. Knead the dough lightly with heel of the hand against a smooth surface for a few seconds, and re-form it into a ball.
4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour before rolling out.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pâte brisée dough to a ⅛-inch thick round, 10 inches in diameter.
6. Press into a 9-inch pie pan, prick bottom and sides with a fork, and crimp edges.
7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 300ºF.
9. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, syrup, salt, vanilla, butter extract, brown and granulated sugars and blend well.
10. Add pecans and blend.
11. Pour mixture into chilled pastry shell.
12. Drizzle melted butter over the top of pie.
13. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes.
14. Let cool.
15. Serve with whipped cream.
Tips:
If using salted pecans, omit salt.
**From “Outdoor Entertaining”, “AAA Recipes”, “Joyofbakikn.com” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**[/SIZE]
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