Pecan Pie with No Corn Syrup

I made my first pie in the RV kitchen. I had some problems with my RV oven, and even so, this pie came out beautifully.

This recipe is a modification of the pecan pie recipe from the blog by Sharon Rigsby, Grits and Pinecones and here is a link to her original recipe: https://www.gritsandpinecones.com/dots-ultimate-southern-pecan-pie/. The pie crust is from the King Arthur Banking Company site: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/blueberry-hand-pies-recipe

Makes one deep dish 9 inch pie or 2 regular 9 inch pies

Ingredients

• Pie Filling
  • 2 cups pecan halves
  • 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
  • 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 2 cups of packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup of maple syrup (I used dark maple syrup.)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (I used double strength vanilla extract.)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons of whole milk
• Pie Crust, makes enough for 2 regular pies with some leftover
  • 2 cups (240g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • More flour to dust working surface.
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 16 tablespoons (227g) unsalted butter, cold
  • 1/2 cup (113g) sour cream, cold (may need 1-2 teaspoons more)
  • 2 tablespoons of cold water

Tools:

1 or 2 rimmed baking sheet(s), 1 deep dish pie pan or 2 regular pie pans, whisk, microwave proof small bowl or a small pot, 2 medium size bowl, rolling pin, enough aluminum foil to cover the rimmed baking sheet(s), pastry cutter, knife, cooling rack, small cookie cutters

Instructions

Notes:

1. Make the pie crust first. This is a very flaky and tender crust. These instructions are from the King Arthur site with some clarifications that I made:
   1. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in the medium size bowl.
   2. Cut up the cold butter into 1/2 tablespoon chunks with a knife. Add the butter to the flour by spreading the chunks around the flour in the bowl.
   3. Using a pastry cutter (or fork) cut the butter into the flour to make it a coarse/crumbly mixture. Important: Leave most of the butter in large, pea-sized pieces.
   4. Add the sour cream to the flour and butter mixture, and stir until the mixture starts to come together in chunks.
   5. Turn the mixture out onto a floured work surface, and bring it together with a few quick kneads. You will have a very shaggy dough. If it doesn’t come together, add a teaspoon of sour cream and knead, you may have to add another teaspoon of sour cream and knead to get the dough to come together.
   6. Pat the dough into a rough log, and using the rolling pin, roll it into an 8″ x 10″ rectangle. Dust both sides of the dough with flour, and starting with a shorter end (8″), fold it in three like a business letter.(fold 1/3 of the way across, then take the remaining dough and fold it over the folded dough.)
   7. Flip the dough over, give it a 90° turn on your work surface, and roll it again into an 8″ x 10″ rectangle. Lightly dust the top of the rectangle with flour and fold it in three again starting with the shorter end.
   8. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2. Roast Pecans
   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   2. Line 1 lipped sheet with aluminum foil.
   3. Spread the pecan halves over the aluminum covered sheet.
   4. When the oven has preheated. Put the pecan halves into the oven.
   5. At 5 minutes, turn the sheet in the oven around and put it back in for 3 more minutes.
   6. Remove the sheet from the oven and set it aside to allow the pecans to cool.
   7. Leave the aluminum foil on the baking sheet, as you are going to reuse it.
3. Pie Crust
   1. Turn oven to 300 degrees F.
   2. After pie crust dough has chilled for 30 minutes, remove from plastic wrap.
   3. Cut the dough rectangle in half, so that you have two 5″ squares.
   4. Roll one square until it will fit into the pie pan. Check this by putting the pie pan on the rolled out crust and adding the length of the side to where the rim is. This is about 3 to 4 inches more than the rim. Gently ease the dough into the pie pan.
   5. Pie edge:
      • Fluted edge:
        • Start by trimming the crust so there is at least an 1 inch of crust past the rim. Gently lift the crust edge and moisten the underside of the 1 inch past the rim with the cold water. Fold the inch of excess crust so the edge comes to the inside of the pie crust rim. Flute the edge by pressing the thumb and index finger of your left had about 2 inches apart at the edge of the crust. Take your right index finger and place it between the thumb and index finger. Gently push the right index finger toward the edge of the pie while gently pushing the left index finger and thumb toward the inside of the pie. The left index finger and thumb should push the crust forward, while the right index finger keeps the crust in place. Repeat around the pie. Put pie in the fridge.
      • Cut Out Decorated Edge
        • Trim the pie crust close to the edge of the pie pan, leave about a 1/4″ past the rim. Gently wet the top of the pie crust edge by the pie pan rim. Place pie pan in fridge to chill. Cut out decorations from the pie crust trimmings using small cookie cutters or pie cutouts. Remove pie crust from fridge and arrange decorations along the edge and gently press them down.
   6. Put pie crust in fridge while making the filling.
   7. If you are only making the deep dish 9″ pie, take the left over 5″ square of dough and put it in the freezer for another pie later. If you are making two regular 9″ pies, roll out the second 5″ square of dough by repeating steps 4, 5 & 6 in Pie Crust.
4. Pie Filling (Custard Mixture)
   1. Using a whisk or fork, beat the 4 eggs well in a medium size bowl.
   2. Melt the butter in the microwave in a small microwave proof bowl or large coffee mug.
   3. In the order listed, combine the melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, flour, and milk in a medium size bowl and mix with the whisk.
   4. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture and whisk until you have a uniform mixture.
   5. This is now a custard mixture. If you are making the deep dish pie, there will be a small amount of custard left over.
5. Pie Assembly
   1. Remove pie shell(s) from fridge.
   2. If making 2 9″ regular pies, put 1 cup of pecans into each pie shell. If making the deep dish 9″ pie, use both cups of pecans for the pie. Add the pecans into the pie shell and spread them out evenly. I like to turn them so the outside of the pecan half is facing up. The pecans will rise to the top of the custard mixture and I like the look of the outside of the pecan on the top of the pie.
   3. Pour the custard mixture as evenly as you can over the pecans. If you like, you can flip any pecan halves that have the inside is facing up so the outside is facing up. The pie will look prettier if the outside of the pecans face up, but will taste just as good if you don’t.
   4. Take the baking sheet that you covered with aluminum foil to roast the pecans, and place the baking sheet in the oven. If you are baking two pies, you will need two baking sheets.
   5. Place the pie in the center of the baking sheet that is in the oven and bake for 60 minutes or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. I put the baking sheet with the pie on it on the cooling rack.
   6. Let the pie cool completely before you serve it – 3 to 4 hours. (Okay, it can be slightly warm when you cut into it.)

I spread leftover custard onto extra pie dough cut outs and baked them. It came out great!

I reused the bowl I made the pie crust in to mix up the custard. One less bowl to clean up.

I reused the aluminum foil. I used it once to protect the pan from the pecans and a second time to protect the pan from any spills from the pie.

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