I know, I know, it's hard to find good low-calorie dessert recipes at Thanksgiving. But, this is not going to be one of them, unfortunately. Check out my post on Chocolate Toffee Mousse for that - it's a family favorite! Anyway, this IS a healthy recipe for me, because I don't like to eat pecan pie. Yes, I apparently make it well and so I get asked to make it every year, therefore I figured I'd better digitize the recipe before my cookbook disintegrates. But, I still won't eat it myself. Anyway, it's a very simple, classic recipe, from my 50s-fabulous Culinary Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook. If you have one you like better, let me know.
Pie Crust Recipe:
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup shortening
- 4-6 tablespoons cold water
Put flour and salt in a bowl, then cut in shortening with a pastry blender. Add water a couple of TB at a time, until mixture holds together but is not wet. Be careful not to over-mix. Divide dough into 2 balls. Roll each ball out on a floured surface to desired width. Fold in quarters to transfer to your pie plate, then unfold. Recipe makes two pie crusts. (Or, if you're making a fruit pie, you may choose to use the second crust as a "top" for one pie.)
Pecan Pie Recipe:
- 1/4c butter
- 2/3c brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 c dark corn syrup
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 c pecan pieces
- About 20 pecan halves, preferably well-formed
- 1 uncooked pie crust (note that the crust recipe makes 2 crusts, so you may decide to double the quantity on this filling recipe)
Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add salt, corn syrup, eggs, pecan pieces, and vanilla, mix. Pour into pie crust. Bake in a hot oven (450) for 10 minutes. You should have a hard crust on top of the pie. Place pecan halves in two concentric circles on the top of the pie. If you need to break through the crust slightly with the pecan to let the liquid filling help hold the pecan in place, that is appropriate. Reduce oven temperature to 350, and bake another 35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. FYI, I find this quite often takes more than 35 minutes, so let the pie tell you when it is done. Makes 1x 8" pie.
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