Thanksgiving is nearly here, but there’s no need to remind my tastebuds…I’ve been drooling about one of my favorite holiday pies since the weather turned cold. Ok, I’ve been drooling about this one since I cleaned the pie dish this time last year…but don’t tell anyone!
Tip: When rolling your pie dough, make sure to use plenty of flour on your workspace and your rolling pin. As soon as your pie dough even thinks about sticking, gently add more flour to the table or pin! To transfer the dough to the pie dish, simply roll the dough carefully onto the pin and then unroll into the dish. Yes, you can use a store-bought pie crust, but it’s just not the same!
I hope you enjoy making (and of course eating) this pie as much as I do!
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 cups pecans, halved
- 1 1/4 cups of pastry flour (if you don't have pastry flour, you can create a close substitute with 7/8 cups all-purpose flour and 3/8 cup cake flour)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, diced and chilled
- 2 Tbsp cold water
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp bourbon
Instructions
- Mix flour and salt.
- Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut in butter until mixture forms small pea-sized balls.
- Slowly add water and toss mixture lightly with a fork until dough forms a single ball. If needed, add more water in very small increments until no dry ingredients left in bowl.
- Chill dough for 20 minutes.
- Flour table well and roll out dough until approximately 1/8 inch thick. Use caution at this step to ensure that dough does not stick to rolling pin or table. (Dust pin and table if dough begins to stick.) The dough should be approximately 12" in diameter.
- Roll finished dough onto floured pin and unroll into pie dish. Cut off any excess pie dough and crimp edges.
- Beat eggs lightly and stir in butter.
- Add brown and white sugar and flour and mix until incorporated.
- Add milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir until evenly mixed. Add pecans and stir until well combined.
- Pour entire mixture into pie crust and place in oven immediately.
- Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 and continue baking for another 40-45 minutes, or until mixture is well set and browned on the top.
- Let rest before cutting.
- Place all ingredients in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk on medium-high speed until cream holds a peak. (~5 minutes, but watch closely)
Tip: The pie is done when the brown sugar pecan filling begins to turn crispy.
David,
I just stumbled on this recipe. This looks awesome. I’m getting hungry just looking at the pictures. I noticed that you don’t use corn syrup which is a huge plus. (I don’t like using the stuff.)
Once upon a time I also had something similar, it was almost like a chocolate brownie pie with pecans! Ouchie, was that good.
Of course with December coming, we all give ourselves excuses to eat more yummies.
SueAnn
Thanks so much, SueAnn! I love that this recipe doesn’t use corn syrup, too. And it’s one of my favorite pie recipes of all time!!
When dou add the pecans after mixed?
Oh gosh! I can’t believe I left that step out of the recipe, Roxanne. The pecans get stirred in right at the end (before pouring mixture into the pie crust). I just updated the recipe, too. This really is our go-to pecan pie every year for Thanksgiving, and I’m getting ready to make another one (or two!) soon. 🙂 I hope you enjoy this one as much as we do around here! Happy baking, my friend!
Try adding a tbs.full of cornmeal sometime. That was my mother’s secret.