Thanksgiving is not complete without a pecan pie for dessert! The original recipe I used in the past came from Arnaud’s restaurant in New Orleans. This recipe for pecan pie has been adapted over the years. For example, I use a mix of the light and dark corn syrups. I prefer pecan halves to pieces, and they all float to the top during baking, so the final product looks beautifully patterned. Also, I always add chunks of dark chocolate in the pie. A friend from the US made a chocolate pecan pie for a pot luck and ever since I tried that I can’t leave the chocolate out!
I’ve tried to substitute golden syrup from the UK for corn syrup, and this did not work at all. The golden syrup was too thick and sticky, and once I baked the pie it hardened until it was almost inedible. Or at least inedible for anyone without very strong teeth! The ingredients in this recipe for pecan pie include 4 different types of sugar: two corn syrups, brown sugar and white sugar. It is definitely sweet but somehow the nuts and dark chocolate balance it out. I suggest to serve this with whipped cream or ice cream as the creaminess also balances out the sweetness.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
1/3 c dark Karo corn syrup
1/3 c light Karo corn syrup
2/3 c light brown sugar
1/3 c granulated sugar
3 Tbsp hot water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c pecan halves or pieces
100 g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
150 g shortcrust pastry
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
First, in a large mixing bowl, combine butter, eggs, corn syrup and light brown sugar. Use a whisk or an electric mixer to beat well. Next, dissolve the granulated sugar in hot water, and then add to the other ingredients. Finally, add salt, vanilla, and chocolate pieces. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
Roll out the dough or spread the dough in a deep pie tin. Then, place the pie pan on a baking sheet and spread the pecans in the piecrust. You may want to cover the baking sheet with foil to avoid a lot of scrubbing later. The sugary mixture can become quite hard when cooked. Pour the pie mixture over the pecans.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Then lower the heat to 165C (325F) and continue baking for about 30 more minutes until the filling is set and the crust is brown.
Cool for at least an hour. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
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