Pecan pie is a type of pie made with pecans as the main ingredient. Conventional pecan pie is thick, very rich, and fairly sticky and can be extremely sweet. There are several ways to make a pecan pie and many people take pleasure in experimenting, to discover their perfect recipe. This dessert is closely linked with the American South, where the pie is very popular, particularly during the winter season.
The origin of the pecan pie is vague, but various people say that this dessert began in New Orleans and where it is popular today. Other people imply that it may be from farther south than that. Pecan pie might even be a completely invented creation, selected to promote a brand of corn syrup, as one such company claims. Wherever it originated, pecan pie did not start appearing in cook books until the 1920s.
The addition of corn syrup in a pecan pie is still a debate. Many people say that in order to make an authentic pecan pie, this dish should always have corn syrup, and several recipes include different brands. Other people argue that the presence of corn syrup makes the pecan pie much sweeter and somewhat distasteful, so they use alternatives, such as brown sugar combined with water or maple syrup with a bit of molasses. The option of course is yours, but if you have tried pecan pie and found it to be too sweet, you might try to exclude the corn syrup.
Typically, pecan pie has a conventionally flaky light crust, almost like shortbread. Usually the crust is sweetened just a bit, since the pecan, pie is already sweet enough and the faintly savory flavor offers another dimension to the sugary dish. This kind of crust is known as pate brisee fine or pate brisee, and it is very versatile.
To create a typical pecan pie, take a cup of sugar, combine that with two thirds cup of maple syrup or corn syrup, together with one tablespoon of rum and 4 tablespoons of butter. These ingredients should be boiled, then permitted to cool before one quarter teaspoon of salt, one quarter cup of cream and three beaten eggs are added to the mixture. Two cups of lightly chopped, roasted pecans may be added to this mixture, or can be used to cover the base of the baked piecrust, and then pour the filling over them. You then bake it at three hundred degrees Fahrenheit or one hundred eighty degrees Celsius, for about forty five minutes, then allow the pie to cool.
Pecan pie can be served with shaved chocolate or whipped cream, flavored whipped cream, with some added maple syrup, rum or whiskey. This will make a very pleasant and decadent pecan pie.
For an alternative, without using corn syrup, you could take one teaspoon rum, which you add to the filling, consisting of a half cup melted butter, three eggs and one pound of brown sugar. Whip this together with a cup of chopped roasted pecans, place it in a piecrust, and bake in the oven the same as before.