For as good was this pie has always been using the original recipe plus
my earlier notes, this year's attempt was an absolute slam dunk.
As mentioned in a previous post, I updated the link to the
Food Network recipe in the earlier posts (and noted the updates).
That recipe is (currently located) here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/pecan-pie-recipe-2011668
Also in previous posts, I offered some notes about things I learned
or did along the way. Here are a few more:
- Pecans: a single 12-oz. bag of chopped pecans
will satisfy the requirement for 2 cups. Put those on a baking sheet
and toast them for 5 minutes at 350° for the filling. Also, the
photo of the pie shows pecan halves on top. There's no need for the
halves. Really.
- Bourbon: For years, I've used H.L.Weller's
Special Reserve for the bourbon component. This year I switched
it up — Laurel bought us a lovely bottle of
Jack Daniel's Sinatra
Select. I used 2T of that instead and I really loved the flavor
it produced — the vanilla finish blended very well with the vanilla
extract. I highly recommend it.
- Filling: I followed the recipe exactly. The ingredients stir
uneasily until the eggs are added — then it becomes much more
pliable.
- Crust: I took a shortcut this year and did not make the crust.
I let Marie Calender handle that part this year. Needless to say,
it cuts way down on the prep and baking time. I did stick the
frozen shell into the oven for 5 minutes before adding the filling
(the recipe said to do this if your crust has cooled too much).
I'm not certain that really did anything positive.
- Finally, the recipe makes a single pie.
I'll leave you with this: Laurel told me it was probably the
best pie she's ever had EVAR. And pecan pie is her thing — I
didn't grow up with them like she did. When our Christmas
dinner guests left, we still had about 40% of the pie; I know
better than to even think about touching it.
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