Maple Pecan Pie, Revisited
In the early days of this blog -- back in December 2010 -- I wrote about baking a pecan pie with maple syrup.
I've made a few pecan pies since then (they continue to be a favorite at family gatherings) and I've made a few refinements. And last Christmas my niece Sophie gifted me with a splendid cookbook entitled "Pie" by Ken Haedrich, from which I learned an important secret about pecan pie.
It's all about browned butter.
So herewith I offer my latest take on Maple Pecan Pie:
Ingredients
- Pie crust (raw or -- my preference -- lightly pre-baked)
- 1 to 1-1/2 cups pecans (a mix of whole pecans and pieces is best)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup maple sugar (or brown sugar, if you must)
- 1 cup dark maple syrup (Hidden Springs’ Grade B is perfect!)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (browned -- see below)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix the eggs, sugar, syrup and vanilla extract in a bowl.
Put the stick of butter in a shallow pan -- ideally something light-colored (e.g. stainless steel) so you can see the color of the butter. Turn up the heat medium high and watch the butter carefully -- you want butter browned, but it can quickly burn if you're not watching. For myself, since I don't have a light-colored pan I use a white plastic spoon, dipping it into the butter periodically so I can assess the color. When the butter starts to turn a light brown, remove from heat immediately and add it to the liguid mixture in the bowl.
Spread the pecans in the pie shell, pour the liquid mix over it, and place in a 375 degree oven to bake. I strongly recommend use of a "pie ring" to prevent the edge crust from burning. Pie is done when the center is a bit "springy" rather than liquid, about 40 minutes.
Enjoy.
-- Bill, April 26 2014
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