I spent Thanksgiving with new friends this year: one of my classmate's parents were in town and she invited me and another friend over for the feast. It was such a lovely afternoon: her mom cooked a delicious meal and it warmed my heart to know that I have met such kind people since I've been here and that Thanksgiving didn't have to be spent alone (with a bowl of oatmeal).
To contribue, I decided to whip up that ubiquitous Southern Thanksgiving staple: Pecan Pie. I felt the need to represent the South in some way, so even though I'd never made the pie before, it had to happen. I turned to Martha for the recipe, but I've included the changes I think would send this puppy over the top.
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Pecan Pie
Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 1 9-inch pie
pie crust
(I used Martha's basic pie dough but it didn't quite meet my expectations. I'm still searching for the best pie dough recipe but there are plenty of good ones out there. Or you can always buy one, if crust making isn't your thang. No judgment.)
4 eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 granulated sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecans, chopped
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Start by getting that pie crust together if you're making it. roll it into a 9 inch pie dish and stick it in the fridge. From the somewhat severe/painful burn I suffered dealing with aluminum pie tins and a very hot jelly roll pan, I would suggest using a real pie dish for this recipe since the pie is pretty heavy.
could my crust look anymore homemade? Its all part of the charm...right?
preheat oven to 350F
For your filling:
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, corn syrup, both sugars, vanilla, butter, and salt until smooth and creamy.
Fold in the chopped pecans--they don't need to be chopped, but I found the pecan halves a big unwieldy during serving.
Pour your filling into the pie crust--you may have a little left over.
Place your pie on a jelly roll plate in case of an overflow, and bake for about 30 minutes.
Check on your crust--if its getting golden and done, cover the edges of the pie with foil (careful not to burn yourself!) and stick it back in for another 20-30 minutes (maybe longer, depending on your oven), until the middle is slightly jiggly.
Cool for as long as you can before serving, and enjoy with big dollops of whipped cream.
(1.5 cups heavy cream + 4 tbsp powdered sugar + 1 tsp vanilla = my standard and delicious whipped cream recipe. You better believe I got every last bit off those beaters as a pre-thanksgiving feast treat)