Some things are better when you don't know all the specifics, don't you think? Many things benefit from a little mystery, and pecan pie is right up there.
I managed to pull off my first vegetarian thanksgiving (OK, not completely veg.- my mom brought over a turkey... I didn't want people to riot) and this dessert was what waited at the end.
I am a diehard pecan pie fan, but this version left me a little deflated. Could it have been the knowledge that huge glugs of corn syrup were what made the pie so gooey? Quite possibly.
The recipe comes from Cooking Light. More and more I appreciate their recipes as a starting point, rather than an actual directive. If only I knew more about baking, I could have seen the flaws in this pie in advance... and fixed them. As made, the pie was a bit cloying and flat. More spices would probably have helped that problem.
Also, nobody wants a pecan pie with no pecans, dammit. That wouldn't be my first place to try to cut calories, Cooking Light. (I added about 1/2 c more pecans than the recipe called for.)
In the magazine, the pie is paired with 'fresh cranberry sauce', which just seems bizarre. Even the food stylist must have thought so: in the photo, the sauce is lurking in a ramekin yards behind the pie, looking sullen. I didn't attempt the sauce.
I do have nice things to say about the crust, however. Easy to make, and with all that oatmeal ( if you ignore the butter), healthy!
Oat- Crusted Pecan Pie (from Cooking Light)
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 3/4 c old fashioned rolled oats
3 TB granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 TB cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 TB ice water
cooking spray
Filling:
3/4 c packed light brown sugar
2/3 c light colored corn syrup
3 TB all purpose flour
3 TB molasses
1 TB melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
2/3 c pecan halves
Preparation:
To prepare crust, place the first 3 ingredients in a food processor, and process until finely ground (about 30 seconds). Add butter, and pulse 5 times, or until combined. Add 1 TB ice water; pulse just until combined (mixture will be crumbly). Press oat mixture into the bottom and up sides of a 9 inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.
Reduce oven to 350. Combine brown sugar, and next 8 ingredients (through egg white) in a medium bowl, stirring well. Stir in pecan halves. Spoon filling into prepared crust. Bake at 350 for 48 minutes, or until center is set. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Serves 12.
2 comments:
I agree with you about Cooking Light- it's a great starting point. Only 2/3 cup of pecans?? It seems like a pecan pie should just be full of pecans, right? The oatmeal does sound like a nice touch, though.
I had the same reaction when i read the recipe in Cooking Light, but ended up serving this pie both at Thanksgiving and Christmas. First, I had thought there wouldn't be enough pecans but when the pie came out of the oven, there were plenty, they filled the crust completely. 2nd, I found that if I used blackstrap molasses, the cranberry sauce was PERFECT with the pie. It didn't taste like typical pecan pie but it was a really refreshing change. Of course, I did serve whipped cream too. Also, the one I made with blackstrap molasses got completely eaten that night. the one I made with the light molasses didn't, but the next day it was even better and got totally demolished. So, this is what I'll be serving next year!
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