Classic Pecan Pie

Deck your holiday dessert table with a delicious pecan pie this year. This decadent treat will have your guests oohing and aahing.

Since the recipe requires less than 1 hour of hands-on time, you can enjoy this pie both as a party treat or as an everyday autumn dessert.

For the pie crust: Measure 2 cups of flour into a large bowl. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well. Add cold chunks of 200 gm butter and enough ice cold water to get a soft, firm dough (You would see the butter pieces in the dough) Roll it out rectangular shape into a work surface. Fold into a letter. Roll out. Fold into 3 again. Repeat 6-7 times. Refrigerate for minimum 30 mins before use (Can be refrigerated for 3 days. Or frozen for a week)

Roll out the pie dough into a 9 inch pie dish. Freeze the pie crust overnight or for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt 1/2 cup salted butter. Pour it into a large bowl.

Into the bowl, add and whisk together 3 eggs, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup, 1 tablespoon molasses (or 1 cup granulated white sugar) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon salt, until smooth.

Spread 2 cups of chopped raw pecans over the bottom of the pie shell. Pour the filling over the pecans. (You could save a few pecan halves and arrange them on the surface in a decorative pattern) Bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, tent the pie loosely with aluminium foil, to prevent the crust and pecans from getting too browned. Bake for another 30 minutes, until the filling has set. You will know your pecan pie is done when you can gently shake the pie dish and see that the centre of the pie is not overly jiggly and the outer edges are set.  If the pie jiggles a lot when you gently shake the pan, continue cooking it until the centre is a little more firm. But these pies burn pretty fast, so watch carefully. The pecans rise to the top when baked.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before you slice it, or it’ll fall apart. It’s better to cool it in the refrigerator and serve it the next day.

Cut into thin slivers and serve. The filling is sweet and gooey, with a caramel-like flavour.

Two decadent toppings can take this classic pecan pie to the next level: a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Note: Light corn syrup has a milder flavour than dark corn syrup. But you can use either in pecan pie. The pie will be puffed up a bit when you first take it out of the oven. It will settle as it cools.

By Christ & Co.