If you like pecan pies with a smooth filling, here's a recipe you may want to try. It's adapted from Cook's Illustrated Perfect Pecan Pie. I've always called it Smooth Pecan Pie because its smooth filling is what makes it unique. It's also not overly sweet.
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CI called it Perfect Pecan Pie because the goal was to create a pie with a perfectly smooth filling rather than a filling that was smooth in the middle and curdled near the edges. If you are new to making pecan pie, please know that this is a very fussy recipe! Traditional, authentic pecan pie recipes are more straightforward and simple and they usually come out stiffer. This one is just unique in that it creates a uniformly smooth and slightly looser filling some people appreciate.
Double Boiler Pecan Pie Filling
In order to create a uniformly smooth pecan pie filling, the pie is baked at a low temperature for a very long time, kind of like a custard or Chess Pie. One drawback to the low temperature bake is a soggy crust. To prevent that, the recipe has you heat the filling to 130 degrees F. This involves preparing the filling in a bowl set in a skillet of hot water or in the top of a double boiler. I recommend using a double boiler. If you don't already own one, a double boiler is worth buying and will come in handy through the years.
Overbaking and Underbaking
Most pecan pies are baked at 350F for "about" an hour. I put about in quotation marks because baking times and temps vary from recipe to recipe. That's why so many pecan pies come out either over or underdone. Baking for a longer time at a lower temperature helps prevent overbaking. It's almost impossible to overbake this pie but you can underbake it. The pie in the photo below was baked for 55 minutes. It tasted good but felt underbaked.
Since then I've increased the bake time to 75 minutes. The best way to gauge whether or not it's done is to measure the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. If it registers 200F, it should be done. It won't seem done at first, but will firm a bit as it cools and will set up even more if you chill it. The pie in the photo below was baked for 75 minutes, cooled, chilled and brought back to room temperature before serving.
Using a Baked Crust for Pecan Pie
This pie bakes at too low of a temperature for the crust to get fully baked, so you need to pre-bake it. This means covering your raw pie crust with foil or parchment, weighing down with pie weights (beans) and baking. I don't recommend docking because the filling has a way of seeping underneath the crust as it bakes. If you don't know how to pre-bake a pie crust or what the difference is between docking and using pie weights, here's a handy tutorial from "the Kitchn".
Crust Recipe
I recently updated this recipe to include the baked pie crust that came with it. You'll bake it for 15 minutes at 400 with foil and weights, then for another 10 minutes uncovered. Lastly, you brush it with some egg yolk and seal that in by baking for a minute. This gives you a slightly underbaked pie crust that's perfect since this pie is going to be baked again at the low temperature. The original recipe has you dock it. When I docked it the filling managed to sink under the pie crust. So based on my experience, I recommend skipping the docking and just weighing down with pie weights.
Recipe
Perfect Pecan Pie Double Boiler
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting surface
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt (use ¼ teaspoon if using salted butter)
- 8 tablespoons cold butter, unsalted, cut into ½ inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 1 large chilled egg white mixed with ¼ cup ice water
- 1 large egg yolk beaten with ⅛ teaspoon of water
Pecan Pie Filling
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (200 grams)
- ¾ cup light corn syrup (240 grams)
- 3 large eggs, whisked separately in another bowl
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups toasted chopped pecans
Instructions
Make Crust
- Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse three times to mix.
- Scatter butter over flour mixture and pulse until coarse. Pulse in the shortening until coarse, then turn mixture into a large bowl.
- Add egg white mixture to the flour mixture and turn, pressing down with a rubber spatula, to make a soft dough. Press it all together and flatten into a disk. Wrap tightly and chill for at least an hour.
- On a floured surface, roll dough into a 13 inch circle. Lay over a 9 inch pie dish and trim edges. Tuck edges under and flute. Chill until very firm (1 hour). Do not dock this pie crust. Chill until very cold, then cover with foil or parchment paper. Weigh down with pie weights or beans.
- Bake the pie at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with the yolk glaze. Return to the oven for 1 minute. Let cool while you make the filling.
Smooth Filling
- To make the filling, bring about an inch of water to a simmer in a large skillet. Alternatively, heat water in a double boiler.
- Put butter in a heat-proof mixing bowl that will fit in the skillet of water or in the top of the double boiler. Let the butter melt, then remove the bowl from the skillet and stir in dark brown sugar and salt. When all of the butter is absorbed, whisk in the corn syrup and eggs.
- Stir mixture over simmering water until it reaches 130 degrees on a candy or deep fry thermometer. Stir in the vanilla and pecans.
- Pour into pie shell. Set the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 275 degrees for 60 minutes or until pie reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F. Note: This could take up to 75 minutes. It's best to use an instant read thermometer for accuracy. Let cool for several hours.
Sonya says
Yum! That slice looks so delicious!! I had a second-guessing too esp. when reading Sue's comment - LOL - but decided that it will (probably) be okay without pecan pie this year - but hmmm I might have to change that! Seriously reconsidering! Don't want to disappoint the family! 🙂
AmyM says
Looks delicious! Pecan pie is always a favorite of mine!!!!
Sue says
I just talked myself out of making pecan pie for Thanksgiving and you post this! I wish I could have just a taste.
I love pecan pie but I have more votes for Apple and my son is always happy if I make Graham Cracker Cream.