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Southern Pecan Pie

Source of Recipe

From "The Glory of Southern Cooking" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"At the risk of alienating a few hundred Southern friends, family members, and culinary historians, I'm not about to proclaim what does and does not constitute genuine Southern pecan pie. Should the pecans be throughout the filling or just on top of the pie? Can both sugar and corn syrup be used as sweeteners? And what about substituting molasses or sorghum for the corn syrup? Must the batter be mixed only with a wooden spoon for the right texture, or does an electric mixer suffice? Like most Southerners, I firmly believe that pecan pie should be made only with fresh in-season pecans (not those half-rancid nuts sold in cans and cellophane packages), and I'm pretty adamant about my pecan pie not being cloyingly sweet, the way so many are. Furthermore, I always give guests the option of plopping dollops of whipped cream on their wedges, but I'm personally convinced that's only gilding one very beautiful lily that needs no adornment."

List of Ingredients

◦ 4 large eggs
◦ 1 � cups light corn syrup
◦ 1 � teaspoons all-purpose flour
◦ 1 � teaspoons pure vanilla extract
◦ � teaspoon salt
◦ 4 tablespoons (� stick) butter, melted
◦ 2 cups pecan halves
◦ One unbaked 9-inch Basic Pie Shell
◦ Whipped cream, for garnish


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350� F.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer till frothy. Add the corn syrup, flour, vanilla, and salt, and beat till well blended. Stir in the butter and pecans and mix well. Turn the mixture into the pie shell and bake till the filling is cooked but still soft in the center when the pie is gently shaken, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the pie completely on a rack, chill slightly, and serve with dollops of whipped cream on top.

Makes 6 servings






❧ Basic Pie Shell:

"This basic pie shell can be made with lard, butter, or margarine as well as with vegetable shortening. As all serious Southern cooks know, nothing produces a flakier pastry (or biscuit) than lard, and if the quality of the lard is good, it can give desserts a unique nutty flavor. Vegetable shortening also yields a flaky texture but lacks the distinctive flavor of lard. Butter and margarine are both richer in flavor than lard or shortening, but since they are only 80 percent fat, they have less shortening power than lard or vegetable shortening, and thus yield a heavier texture (especially butter, because of its milk solids). When I do use shortening, I use only Crisco."

◦ 1 � cups all-purpose flour
◦ � teaspoon salt
◦ � cup vegetable shortening, lard, butter, or margarine
◦ 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water, as needed

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt, then cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter or two knives till the mixture resembles coarse meal. Mixing with a wooden spoon, gradually add enough of the water so that a ball of dough is formed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour (or up to one day). Grease a 9- or 10-inch pie plate and set aside.

Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out from the center with a lightly floured rolling pin to a ⅛-inch thickness. Carefully fold the pastry in half, lay the fold across the center of the prepared pie plate, unfold it, and press it loosely into the bottom and sides of the plate. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork, trim and crimp the edges, and place on a heavy baking sheet.

To partially bake the shell, preheat the oven to 425� F and bake till the shell is just firm and slightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes.

Makes one 9- to 10-inch pie shell