Thursday, November 20, 2014

Pecan Pie with chocolate recipe...using honey instead of corn syrup!

The best pecan pie...we used this for a Fall birthday, but will most certainly make it again for Thanksgiving!
Autumn-delight Pecan Pie with chocolate....
and no corn syrup!
Looking for the perfect Thanksgiving pie?
 Love the traditional pecan pie but feel bad about the corn syrup? Try this delicious version which uses honey yet just like the real thing (if not better)!

 Autumn-delight Pecan Pie with honey
Ingredients:
1/4  cup sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup honey, heated for easier mixing
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. Pure Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 slightly baked pastry shell (9 inches)- see below for recipe
1/2 cup pecan halves (optional)
1 cup semi-sweet (or darker!) chocolate, chopped
or 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
  1. 1. Prepare pastry shell by pre-baking slightly (see recipe below). Sprinkle chocolate pieces or chips over the bottom of shell. Set aside.
  2. 2. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and flour. Stir in the eggs, honey, butter, vanilla and salt. Add chopped pecans and mix well.
  3. 3.  Pour into pastry shell. Arrange pecan halves around edge and center of pie.
    4. Cover edges loosely with foil. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove foil; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. Serve cool or slightly warmed with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
  4.  Yield: 6-8 servings.
  5. Originally published as Southern Honey-Pecan Pie in Reminisce December/January 2007, p49Updated November 2014 by Mazzou.

Williams-Sonoma  basic tart dough recipe:
(makes enough for one 9-inch pie crust)

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 Tbs. very cold water
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1⁄4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1⁄4 tsp. salt
  • 8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into
      1⁄4-inch cubes
  • Directions:
    In a small bowl, stir together the egg yolk, water and vanilla; set aside.-To make the dough by hand, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the egg mixture and mix with a fork just until the dough pulls together.-To make the dough in a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, stir together the flour, sugar and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the butter and beat on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the egg mixture and beat just until the dough pulls together.
Transfer the dough to a work surface, pat into a ball and flatten into a disk. Use the dough immediately, or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes.

To roll out the dough, on a lightly floured board, flatten the disk with 6 to 8 gentle taps of the rolling pin. Lift the dough and give it a quarter turn. Lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as needed, then roll out until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick.  (I did thicker and since this is such a flaky dough, it worked perfectly) Use a small, sharp knife to cut out a round or rounds 2 inches greater in diameter than your tart or larger tartlet pans. Use a small, sharp knife or a cookie cutter to cut out rounds 1/2 to 1 inch greater in diameter than your miniature tartlet pans. If using a rectangular tart pan, cut out a rectangle 2 inches larger on all sides than the pan. Makes enough dough for one 9 1/2-inch tart, six 4-inch tartlets, twelve 2-inch miniature tartlets or one 13 3/4-by-4 1/4-inch rectangular tart.

Nut Dough Variation: Add 2 Tbs. ground toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts to the flour mixture and proceed as directed.

Make-Ahead Tip: The tart dough may be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month. To freeze, place the dough round on a 12-inch cardboard circle and wrap it well with plastic wrap. Alternatively, use the round to line a tart pan and wrap well.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Pie & Tart, by Carolyn Beth Weil (Simon & Schuster, 2003).

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