Pecan Pie

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)

Chocolate Chip Cookies: grown-up style

To say that I have loved chocolate all of my life would be an understatement. I adore chocolate. Growing up overseas, Kinder chocolates were my main source of sustenance, especially Kinder Eggs. I still consider myself a connoisseur of all things Kinder, but as I've gotten older, my chocolate tastes have expanded. Nowadays, nothing makes me quite as happy as dark dark chocolate--especially with a touch of sea salt or some almonds if I'm feeling fancy. I consider it my chocolate maturation--adulthood has taught me about the beauty of 60%+ cacao chocolates, and it definitely ranks up there as one of the best parts of growing up so far.

As such, my baking projects have also expanded to include more of the dark stuff. There isn't really anything about these chocolate chip cookies that makes them "grown up" per se, but to me, the addition of big dark chocolate hunks and sea salt makes them feel more elevated than the break and bakes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies: Grown Up Style

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/4 cup dark chocolate hunks (I like mine around 70% cacao, but anything above 60% will do)

a few teaspoons of sea salt

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Begin by preheating your oven to 350.

In a bowl, whisk together your flour and baking soda and set it aside.

In a separate bowl (or an electric mixer with the paddle attachment), beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined and fluffy. I like to beat this together for a few minutes--I haven't experimented enough to know if this is really the case, but I believe that taking the time to get a really light and fluffy base for my cookies is what keeps them so moist post-baking. I might be inferring a relationship here that doesn't exist....but for now I'm convinced that the butter and sugar must be beaten into submission.

Add your salt, vanilla, and the eggs (one at a time) to your butter and sugar pillow, and beat until everything is well mixed.

Add your flour and baking soda mixture into the wet ingredients in three parts, beat until it just comes together.

Fold in both the dark and semi-sweet chocolate. If you're like me and need a taste of dough to make your soul happy, dig right in and prepare to be blown away. Its divine.

Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and drop tablespoon size cookies onto them, about 2 inches apart.

Take you sea salt and sprinkle a baby pinch onto each dough mound. If your dough balls are too round, just push the salt into them with your fingers. The amount varies on your taste buds, but I promise the salt & dark chocolate combo just works.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes--the edges should be brown, but the tops should still feel mushy when you push down on them. Take them out and let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack so that they can cool completely.

Eat at least one while they're warm, because there are few things as heavenly as warm cookies, but the rest will last a week in a tupperware at room temp.