Brown Butter Pecan Pie

My husband’s favorite pie of all time is pecan pie. I never ate it before meeting him; it always seemed super sweet and super rich. And guess what? It definitely is. I can only manage a sliver of that decadence before feeling very full; if you know me, you must know how very rich this dessert must be. 

It’s a very simple pie to make. I tweaked the recipes lightly from the back of a Karo syrup bottle; my biggest change is that I brown the butter. I think it adds an extra nuttiness and depth of flavor. My husband thinks it is perfection in a pie plate. Good thing, too; he is going to have to eat most of it!

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 cup of Karo light corn syrup

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons of butter

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups pecans

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1 tablespoon spiced rum

Crust:

1 ½ cups of Pastry Flour

9 Tbsp Cold Butter, cut into cubes

½ tsp Salt

3 to 5 Tbsp of Ice cold vodka

Method:

In a food processor add the flour and salt, pulse once to incorporate.

 Add the butter, pulse about 10 times or until the butter is about the size of peas and distributed evenly.

While pulsing add 1 tablespoon of vodka at a time until the dough comes together when pinched between your fingers.

Dump the dough in a lightly floured surface and quickly form into a disk.

Wrap dough and pop it in the fridge for about half an hour before using. 

Roll it out into a ¼ inch thick circle and place into a 9 inch pie plate. Trim and crimp the edges and pop into the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brown in the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Remove add allow to cool to room temperature.

Beat the eggs well. Mix in the sugar, syrup, vanilla, rum and melted butter and beat thoroughly until combined. Stir in the pecans, reserving a few nice looking ones for the top of the pie.

Pour the mixture into the pie. Top with the good looking pecans in a circle or lines.

Bake the pie for 60 to 70 minutes, until the pie just barely wobbles in the center. The top should spring back when pressed lightly. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!