Pecan Pie Award Winning Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll pie dough in a 9 1/2-inch glass pie dish and crimp the edges. Cover dough in parchment paper and press paper down to line the dough; pour pie weights on top of the parchment paper and spread evenly over the bottom.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights to a bowl. Bake crust until lightly golden and set, about 10 minutes more.
• Spread pecans out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until lightly toasted, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Stir brown sugar, butter, white sugar, corn syrup, flour, milk, bourbon, vanilla extract, and salt together in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Slowly drizzle sugar mixture into eggs, whisking constantly.
• Spread pecans out in the bottom of the crust. Pour sugar mixture over nuts and gently stir with a spatula to coat all of the nuts.
• Bake pie in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown and pie is set, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely.

THE BEST PECAN PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.
• Alternatively, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade and bring the dough together by hand.
• Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• Roll the dough on a lightly-floured surface into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick
• edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
• Arrange the racks in the center and lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift the sides of the parchment to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• While the crust is baking make the filling: Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and, stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, bourbon and vanilla. Set it aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.) Whisk the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth. Put the pie shell on a baking sheet and pour the filling into the hot crust.
• Bake on the lower rack until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, 40 to 45 minutes. (If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil half way during baking.) Cool on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

PRIZE-WINNING APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Measure flour, salt and baking powder into large bowl; mix well. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles small peas. Sprinkle in oil then milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork after each addition. When it's thoroughly mixed, press dough firmly together with hands as you would a snowball. Divide dough into two balls. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Put bottom crust into 9-in. pie pan; set aside. , Prepare filling by stirring together the sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt; mix with apples and water. Turn into pastry-lined pan; dot with butter. Cover with top crust; seal and flute. Slit steam vents in top crust. Cover edge with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. , Bake at 425° for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer.

PECAN PIE SURPRISE BARS (PILLSBURY BAKE-OFF WINNER)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350.
• Grease 13 x 9 inch pan.
• Reserve 2/3 cup of the dry cake mix for filling.
• In a large bowl, combine remaining dry cake mix, margarine and 1 egg at low speed until well blended.
• Press in bottom of greased pan.
• Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.
• In large bowl, combine reserved 2/3 cup dry cake mix, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and 3 eggs at low speed until moistened.
• Beat 1 minute at medium speed or until well blended.
• Pour filling mixture over warm base; sprinkle with pecans.
• Bake an additional 30-35 minutes or until filling is set.
• Cool completely.
• Cut into 36 bars.
• Store in refrigerator.