What's fall without pecan pie? Fresh and abundant at this season, the native American pecan nut has long been associated with cool weather and end-of-year holiday treats. For those of you who didn't get enough of Aunt Jen's pecan pie at Thanksgiving and can't wait for Uncle Harry's Christmas version, try baking one for yourself.
Basic pecan pies are a cinch to prepare. The ingredients need only be stirred together by hand and poured into a pastry shell. The usual baking temperature is 350 degrees but pecan pie is so adaptable that it can be baked at higher or lower temperatures with similar results, a convenience when the pie is baked along with other foods in the same oven. Microwave baking is also possible.
The traditional pecan pie has a single crust, a translucent, custardlike filling and lots of pecans. Each ingredient has a specific function that makes the pie turn out just right. I learned this from an old booklet, "The Complete Guide to Pecan Pie," published by the makers of Karo Syrup, which has the corner on the corn syrup market.
Eggs form the base of the custard; the booklet suggests three eggs for a 9-inch pie. More eggs make the filling firmer and fewer eggs give it an uneven texture. Egg whites and egg substitutes don't work in pecan pie because it's the yolks that keep the filling from foaming.
Corn syrup gives the filling its characteristic translucency. And although light or dark corn syrup can be used, the results will taste different. A combination of light corn syrup and granulated sugar produces a light pie with a firm, smooth texture, while with dark corn syrup the custard is firmer and not as satiny.
The pecans themselves may be chopped or halved. And you can even make "pecan pie" with other nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts and macadamias. You can even replace the nuts with oats or flaked coconut.
Although vanilla is the traditional flavoring for pecan pie, other flavorings make good substitutes: chocolate, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, liquor, liqueur and extracts of brandy, rum, orange and almond. Variations on the pecan-pie theme are almost endless, too. I've tried date-pecan pie, maple-pecan tarts, pecan-pumpkin pie and pecan-peach tarts.
Pecan pie tastes best the day it is made but will keep in the refrigerator for several days. Well-wrapped, it can be kept frozen up to three weeks. Serve it the traditional way -- at room temperature topped with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
KARO'S BASIC PECAN PIE
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo light or dark corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Stir together eggs, sugar, syrup, butter and vanilla until well blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into pie shell. Bake in 350-oven 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
KARO'S BRANDY PECAN PIE
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup Karo light or dark corn syrup
1/4 cup brandy, liquor or liqueur
1 unbaked pie shell
1 cup pecans
With mixer at medium speed, beat butter to soften. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Beat in corn syrup and brandy until well blended. Pour into pie shell. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake in 350-degree oven 45-50 minutes or until pie is set around the edges. Filling will be puffy. Cool on wire rack.
KARO'S MICROWAVE PECAN PIE
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 microwaved or pre-baked pie shell
1 egg, separated
2 eggs
1 cup Karo light or dark corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter of margarine, melted
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Spread pecans in a glass baking dish. Microwave on high 3 minutes, stirring twice. Slightly beat 1 egg yolk and coat pie shell with egg using a soft brush to seal holes. Microwave on high 1 minute. Cool. Stir together any remaining egg yolk, egg white and the 2 eggs. Stir in corn syrup, sugar, butter, flour and vanilla. Microwave on high 4 minutes, stirring once. Stir well and pour into prepared pie shell. Sprinkle with pecans. Microwave on 50 percent power 8 to 10 minutes or until filling is almost set, rotating 1/4 turn every 3 minutes. Cool on wire rack.