Pecan Wedges

Pecan Wedges

Crust:
1 C flour
1/3 C brown sugar
1/4 C pecans, toasted and chopped coarse
1 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
6 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

Pecan Filling:
1/2 C brown sugar
1/3 C light corn syrup
4 T unsalted butter, melted
1 T dark rum (optional)
2 t vanilla
1/2 t salt
1 egg
2 C pecans, toasted and chopped coarse

Crust: Line a 9 inch square pan with foil, allowing extra foil to hang over allowing for ease in removing from pan.  Spray foil with pam. Place flour, sugar, pecans, salt and baing powder in food processor and pulse until resembles coarse cornmeal, about 5 pulses.  Add butter and pulse about 8 more times until mixture resembles course sand.  Pat mixture evenly into prepared pan and bake at 350 until crust is light brown and springs back when touched, about 20 minutes.
Filling: While crust bakes, whisk sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, rum, vanilla, and salt together.  Whisk in egg until incorporated.  Pour filling on top of hot crust and sprinkle pecans evenly over top.  Bake until top is brown 22-25 minutes. (Original recipe said bake until cracks start to form...I never saw any cracks.) Let cool to room temperature on wire rack, 1-2 hours.  Use foil sling to remove from baking pan and use sharp knife to cut into wedges (to feel more like a piece of pie) or bars.  Amazing on their own, but great served as a dessert with whipped cream.

**These were insane! If you like pecan pie, you'll love these.  I made these for our Thanksgiving (Wednesday night) because I was taking 2 pecan pies to our real Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday and just wanted to switch things up.  My Mom and I couldn't get enough!
**I am dying to know how they would taste different if you mixed the pecans in the filling instead of pressing them on top. Hmm, might try it next time just to see.

Pecan Pie

Perfect Pecan Pie

1 9” Pie crust                   
6 T butter cut into 1 “ pieces                  
1 C packed dark brown sugar
1/2 t salt                                               
3 eggs
3/4 C light corn syrup                         
1 T vanilla
3 C pecans toasted (chopped if you like...much easier to cut and serve with chopped pecans)

Heat oven to 375, place pie shell in oven, if not already warm.  Melt butter, mix in sugar. salt.  Beat in eggs, then corn syrup and vanilla.  Heat to 130 or until mixture is shiny and warm to the touch.  Remove from heat and stir in pecans.  Pour into warm pie crust.  Bake until center feels set yet soft, like gelatin, when gently pressed, 50-60 mins. ( I personally like it cooked until it's a little firmer than jello.) Transfer to pie rack, let cool completely, at least 4 hours.  Serve room temp with whipped cream or ice cream.


Monette’s Pie Crust

2 1/4 C flour
1 C butter flavored Crisco
½ t salt
Cut Crisco into flour and salt with a fork or pastry cutter.

1/3 C cold water (refrigerated -   super cold)

Sprinkle a tablespoon at a time over flour mixture and let sit for 5 minutes.  Mix with fork and work as little as possible. Roll out.  Makes one double crust pie.  Bake as directed.  For single pie crust make sure you use a fork to poke holes all over crust to allow air to escape so bubbles don’t form.

Note: I've only ever used a pastry cloth for my pie crusts...they work great, but if you don't have one, I've heard people using wax paper or parchment....whatever works.