Danke & Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving, our truly American holiday, has come and gone and what we have to show for it is packed refrigerators, full bellies, and the most important yet oft-overlooked feeling of thanks and gratitude for loving family and friends. 

My love for cooking and sharing holidays with others probably stems from the feeling of delight we get from eating together. It is just so much better when you have people to talk with and laugh at - I mean with - laugh with while eating. Eating alone can be depressing. And who wants to be depressed when pumpkin pie and stuffing are involved?
In our family and extended "second family" of friends there is a tradition of celebrating together on the Friday after Thanksgiving in what we have come to call "Thanks Again". We all bring a leftover dish and enjoy each other's company... and yummy spoils.
 

Hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving and Thanks Again!

"You display the true marks of a Great Gourmande... 
which always includes the warmest and most generous natures... 
and is why people who love to eat are always the best people." - Julia Child

Sukey has her eye on the prize

My little sister and I were in charge of the Thanksgiving pies: two Pecan and two Pumpkin. Our traditional family Pecan pie recipe comes from the Silver Palate cookbook but we've found Alice Water's pie crust to  reign supreme. So, from the Sisters to you... 

Pecan Pie with Annie

     from The Silver Palate Cookbook

     serves 8-10

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Pie Dough

     adapted from Alice Waters

     yields 2 crusts

Ingredients

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

12 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed

½ cup ice cold vodka*

Directions

In a food processor combine the flour and salt. Add in cubes of butter and pulse until the butter is  fully broken up and in small pieces.

Slowly pour the vodka in as you pulse . The dough will start to come together. 

Stop the food processor once most of the dough has formed into a ball.

Turn out on a floured surface, bring all together, form two balls, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.

*The vodka is recommended by America's Test Kitchen for its ability to add more moister than water while leaving no trace of the alcohol. It works like a charm. 

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Pie Ingredients

4 eggs

1 cup dark brown sugar

¾ cup light corn syrup

½ tsp salt

½ stick unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups shelled pecans, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Using a standing mixer, beat eggs. Add in brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, butter, and vanilla and mix together. Roll out pie dough on a floured surface. Make sure it is large enough for a 9-10 inch pie pan. Transfer to your pie pan, press lightly down, and flute the edges.

Sprinkle the chopped pecans into the lined pie pan. Pour filling over pecans. Arrange whole pecans decoratively along the edge of the filling or however you wish.

Bake pie on the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 325°F, baking for 25-30 more minutes. Remove from the oven when the filling is set.

Let cool to room temp and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Well done, Little Miss!