Far more American than apple pie is the native pecan variety. Deeply nutty and caramel-sweet, with a flaky, cream cheese pastry, it’s the perfect celebratory centrepiece for Thanksgiving, Christmas or just about any other special occasion you might have coming up. A favourite of everyone from Elvis to President Obama, its existence is conclusive proof that happiness really is as easy as pie.
Prep 40 min
Cook 1 hr
Cool 2 hr +
Makes 1 x 23cm pie
For the pastry
110g butter, well chilled, plus extra for greasing
190g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
¼ tsp salt
75g cream cheese
For the filling
125g pecans
100g dark soft brown sugar
100g maple syrup
85g butter
200ml single cream
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp bourbon, or other whisky, or rum, etc (optional)
2 egg yolks
¼ tsp salt
1 Make a start on the pastry
The pastry needs to chill, so make that first. Cut the butter into roughly 2cm cubes. Put the flour and salt in a large bowl, stir to combine, then spoon in the cream cheese (drain off any excess liquid from the tub first). Rub in the cheese with your fingertips (or pulse briefly in a food processor) to combine.
2 Incorporate the butter
Add the butter to the bowl and squish the pieces flat with your fingertips (or pulse into small chunks), then squish (or pulse) until the mix just begins to come together into a dough. Tip out on to a clean tea towel or sheet of clingfilm, fold over to cover, then gently knead into a coherent dough – take care not to overwork it, though, or the end result will be tough.
3 Roll out the pastry
So long as the dough doesn’t feel warm and soft, roll it out immediately on a lightly floured surface into a roughly 5mm-thick round that’s large enough to line a 23cm loose-based tart tin (a centimetre either side should be fine). Lightly grease the tin. If the pastry is very soft, however, wrap it first and chill for 20 minutes before rolling it out.
4 Lay the pastry in the tin and chill
Run a palette knife underneath the pastry to release it, if necessary, then fold it in on itself – this will make it easier to handle. Transfer the pastry to the greased tin, then unfold it and lightly press into the base and sides. Cover and chill for 20 minutes (or freeze until you’re ready to bake).
5 Blind bake the pastry
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Tip the pecans on to an oven tray and bake for about six minutes.
Remove, leave to cool slightly, then roughly crush half the nuts. Trim the chilled pastry to neaten the edges, then prick the base all over with a fork.
Line the pastry case with baking paper and baking beans (or dry beans, rice, pie weights etc), then blind bake for 15 minutes.
6 Now for the filling
While the pie case is baking, put the sugar, syrup, butter and cream in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’ve all melted together.
Beat a little of this mixture into the cornflour until smooth, then stir back into the bowl and whisk until the mix thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take the bowl off the heat, then stir in the crushed pecans, bourbon, egg yolks and salt.
7 Finish the pie case
After the pie case has had its 15 minutes, remove the paper lining and baking beans, then return the pie case to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until lightly browned on the base. Pour the filling mixture into the baked pie crust and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove, then arrange the remaining whole pecans on top in concentric circles (or whatever pattern pleases your eye).
8 Finish the baking
Return the pie to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, or until firm on top but still slightly wobbly in the middle, then remove and leave to cool and set completely – this will take a few hours. Once cold, slice and serve. Pecan pie is delicious on its own, but it’s typically served with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.
9 Variations on the theme
Pecans are on the expensive side, so you could certainly use cheaper walnuts instead (a Dolly Parton favourite, incidentally), and/or use golden syrup in place of the also pricey maple variety. To get ahead, make the crust up to the point of baking, then freeze, well wrapped, and blind bake from frozen. Pecan pie can also be made a day ahead with no loss of quality.