Pecan pie
Pecan pie is one of the sweetest bakes in the American repertoire and demands balance. The classic recipe rests on corn syrup; this version uses maple syrup and brown sugar, so the filling tastes of caramel rather than pure sweetness.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Shortcrust pastry 15 min
- Chilling 60 min
- Blind baking 20 min
- Baking 45 min
- Cooling 90 min
Step by step
0 / 7 doneMake and chill the base
Bring the shortcrust together from flour, cold butter, sugar, salt and ice water. Chill for an hour, roll out and line a 24 cm tin. Freeze for 15 minutes.
Ingredients: 250 g plain flour · 140 g butter · 30 g sugar · ½ tsp salt · 60 ml water
Blind bake
Bake the shell with beans at 190°C for 15 minutes, remove the paper and bake 5 minutes more. The base must be dry — the filling is very liquid and would soak into raw pastry.
Ingredients: 250 g plain flour · 140 g butter · 30 g sugar · ½ tsp salt · 60 ml water
Toast the pecans
Toast the pecan halves on a tray at 170°C for 7 minutes until fragrant. Toasting draws out the buttery aroma raw pecans keep hidden. Cool.
Ingredients: 250 g pecans · 180 ml maple syrup · 120 g brown sugar · 60 g butter · 3 pcs eggs · 2 tsp vanilla extract · ½ tsp salt · 2 tbsp rum
Seven minutes turn a bland nut buttery.Make the filling
Beat the eggs, then add the maple syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, salt and rum. Whisk without aerating until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
Ingredients: 250 g pecans · 180 ml maple syrup · 120 g brown sugar · 60 g butter · 3 pcs eggs · 2 tsp vanilla extract · ½ tsp salt · 2 tbsp rum
TipFoam on the filling turns into a porous layer. Skim it off with a spoon before pouring.
Smooth amber — no foam, no bubbles.Arrange the nuts and pour
Scatter two thirds of the pecans over the base, pour in the filling and arrange the remaining halves on top in concentric circles. The nuts float anyway, so place them on the liquid.
Ingredients: 250 g pecans · 180 ml maple syrup · 120 g brown sugar · 60 g butter · 3 pcs eggs · 2 tsp vanilla extract · ½ tsp salt · 2 tbsp rum
Concentric circles — the only decoration this pie needs.Bake for 45 minutes
Bake at 165°C for 45 minutes. The filling should be set at the edges and wobble slightly in the middle. If the nuts brown too fast, cover with foil after 30 minutes.
Ingredients: 250 g pecans · 180 ml maple syrup · 120 g brown sugar · 60 g butter · 3 pcs eggs · 2 tsp vanilla extract · ½ tsp salt · 2 tbsp rum
Cool for an hour and a half
Leave on a rack for 90 minutes. The filling only firms up when completely cold — cut warm, the pie runs onto the plate.
Ingredients: 250 g pecans · 180 ml maple syrup · 120 g brown sugar · 60 g butter · 3 pcs eggs · 2 tsp vanilla extract · ½ tsp salt · 2 tbsp rum
Before you start
Instead of pecans
Walnuts work too, in the same quantity. They are more bitter than pecans, which balances the sweet filling nicely; toast them as well.
Chocolate version
Scatter 100 g of chopped dark chocolate over the base before pouring the filling. The chocolate's bitterness balances the sweetness nicely.
Serving
Serve with unsweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The pie itself is very sweet and needs a counterweight.
