Brown Butter Pecan Pie
Servings 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
- ½ recipe Classic Pie Dough recipe below, chilled
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200 g) packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (125 mL) maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60 mL) corn syrup
- ¼ cup (60 mL) whipping cream
- 2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups (150 g) pecan halves, lightly toasted
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a circle just under ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Dust the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) glass pie plate with flour and line it with the pastry. Trim, tuck and crimp the edges of the pastry shell and chill for at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat and let it cook, stirring occasionally, until the bubbling subsides and the butter itself turns a rich nutty colour, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Make the filling. Whisk the brown sugar, maple syrup, corn syrup, whipping cream, lemon juice (or vinegar), vanilla and salt together until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then add them to the sugar mixture and whisk until blended. Pour in the brown butter and whisk well. Toss in the pecans, stirring to coat them completely, and pour the filling into the pie shell.
- Bake the pie on a baking tray for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven tempera- ture to 375°F (190°C) and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, until the pie filling starts to soufflé around the outside edge. The centre will still be jiggly. Cool the pie on a rack to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Tips:
- Although the liquid filling suggests this recipe should be made using a partially blind-baked pie shell, an unbaked one works perfectly. The pastry still crisps up, and the filling really holds the pastry in place nicely.
- Dark sediment will settle to the bottom of the pan as the brown butter cools. Provided they have not turned black (in which case they may taste bitter), these caramelized milk solids can be stirred into the filling with the butter. If they have turned black, pour the brown butter through a coffee filter or fine strainer to remove them.
- Not only does the lemon juice balance the sweetness of the filling, it also helps to prevent the sugar from crystallizing so that your filling stays smooth and syrupy. This is also the secret to a syrupy, smooth butter tart filling.
- For a pecan tart, use a 9-inch (23 cm) round fluted pan with a removable bottom.
The pie should be refrigerated after a day. It will keep, loosely wrapped in plastic, for up to 3 days.