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.
