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need help with pecan pie

post #1 of 10
11/23/09 at 10:54am
Thread Starter 
One of the things I've been asked to bring to our communal Thanksgiving dinner is pecan pie . . . which I've never made before :eek:! So, as usual, I've looked through loads of recipes on-line and in books and have now thoroughly confused myself. Here are my problems (as far as I know at this point :p):

1. I'm not nuts about the idea of corn syrup. Is it absolutely necessary? I've found lots of recipes that use grade B maple syrup (along with some sugar) instead. Has anyone had experience with that? Would it totally disappoint the pecan pie fans?

2. I've read a lot about the filling not getting done enough. Any suggestions for avoiding this problem?

3. I've read that docking the pie crust is a bad idea because the sugary filling will seep through, making cutting the pie a nightmare. thoughts?

4. Does anyone have a fabulous pecan pie recipe they'd like to share:D

Thank you all and have a lovely Thanksgiving!
Emily

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post #2 of 10
11/23/09 at 12:06pm
I used a simple recipe from foodnetwork..I don't have it in front of me right now but it is cooked in one pot and poured into a ready made pie crust. I has light corn syrup. I think 3 eggs, 1 or 2 cup of sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup, pecans, and vanilla extract. Cook in a pot over light heat until combined, pour into pie crust, and baked for 50 minutes.. it was simple and reliable. Just be sure to put a cookie sheet underneath in case of overflow. I will try to look up the exact recipe.
vale
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post #3 of 10
11/23/09 at 1:27pm
you can check to make sure your pie is cooked all the way by jiggling it, if it moves, it's not done
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post #4 of 10
11/23/09 at 1:50pm
We actually have an article on ChefTalk right now on how to prepare Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
Thanks,

Nicko 
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post #5 of 10
11/23/09 at 5:25pm

Pecan pie

I have used grade B maple syrup for pecan pie and prefer it. I believe I found the recipe on Epicurious. I don't know if you can exchange maple syrup for corn syrup cup for cup.
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post #6 of 10
11/24/09 at 11:14am
Thread Starter 
Thank you all for your responses. The recipe I'm leaning towards is from a 1995 Cooks' Illustrated--I can't give you the link since you need to subscribe. But the recipe for the filling instructions are much the same on "Cooking for Engineers": Traditional Pecan Pie - Recipe File - Cooking For Engineers

Filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
3 large eggs
1 cup maple syrup , pure, preferably Grade B or Grade A dark amber
1 1/2 cups whole pecans (6 ounces), toasted and chopped into small pieces

Thoughts?

I'm also making an apple pie with a top and a bottom crust using the following ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
3 cups AP flour
2 T white sugar
1/2 t salt
6 T cold veg. shortening
2 sticks cold unsalted butter

Could I increase the recipe by 1/2 and use the same recipe for the pecan pie crust as well? Just trying to save myself a little time.
Emily

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post #7 of 10
12/4/09 at 3:45am
Why is corn syrup suddenly on the "bad" food list? Does this mean I have to stop eating corn on the cob? The best pecan pie recipe can be found on the Karo (dark) corn syrup bottle. IMHO.
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post #8 of 10
12/4/09 at 5:27am
If you make a pecan pie w/maple syrup, it's a maple-pecan pie, not a traditional pecan pie. Both are good, just depends on the flavor you're after.

I don't have a problem with corn syrup at all; if you're thinking you'll get less fructose w/maple than corn syrup, please read this - Fanatic Cook: High-Fructose Corn Syrup VS. Table Sugar

This is my favorite traditional pecan pie recipe, the one my pop-in-law will just about sit up and beg for!

PECAN PIE

2 Eggs, Slightly Beaten
1 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1-1/4 Cups pecans - half roughly chopped, half left in halves

Preheat oven to 375 deg F.

Spread chopped pecans in an unbaked 9-inch pie shell.

Mix flour w/ sugar; add remaining ingredients and pour over pecans. Arrange pecan halves on top.

Bake at 375 deg F. for 40 to 50 minutes or until filling is set.
A little jiggle in the center of the pie is okay - it will set as it cools.
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post #9 of 10
2/14/10 at 3:25pm
I am doing a science fair project for school and my question is which pie recipe settles best at high elevation. And ever since you said corn syrup or grade B syrup it got me wondering what is the difference. And if you have any tips I would love to steal them from you!
Thanks,
EarlyChef:chef:
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post #10 of 10
2/15/10 at 11:54pm
Grade B syrup, a grade of maple syrup, sometimes called Cooking Syrup, extremely dark in color and has an extremely strong maple taste as well as hints of caramel. Because of its strong flavor, this is predominantly used in baked goods.
Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor and is made from corn.
After that, it's just a matter of preference. Hope this helps some.

Sources:Wikipedia and Cooking for Engineers
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