blind baking here<\/a> if you\u2019ve never done it.<\/p>\nPecan pie filling is wet and it sits in the oven for nearly an hour, so a raw crust underneath never gets a chance to crisp. Fifteen minutes now saves you from pale soggy pastry later.<\/p>\nMake the filling:<\/strong> Turn the oven down to 350\u00b0F. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt and flour first, which breaks up any lumps. Then add the butter, eggs, vanilla and corn syrup and whisk or mix until everything is smooth and well combined. Stir in the \u00bd cup of chopped pecans.<\/p>\nAssemble it:<\/strong> Pour the filling into the blind baked crust, then arrange the pecan halves over the top. I go around in rings from the outside in, which takes 2 minutes and makes the whole thing look like you fussed far more than you did.<\/p>\nBake it:<\/strong> 50 to 55 minutes at 350\u00b0F, until the filling has puffed up and there\u2019s no wiggle left when you jiggle the plate.<\/p>\nCool it completely:<\/strong> This is the hard part and there\u2019s no way around it. The filling keeps setting as it cools, so cutting it warm gets you a slice that collapses. Give it at least 3 hours, or make it the day before.<\/p>\nHow To Tell When Pecan Pie Is Done<\/h2>\nThe surface will have puffed up and lost its shine in the center, and when you nudge the pie plate the filling moves as one piece rather than sloshing.<\/p>\n
Check the edges first.<\/strong> They set well before the middle does. If the outer 2 inches are firm and risen and the very center still has a slight tremble to it, you\u2019re there or very close.<\/p>\nIf you\u2019ve got an instant read thermometer, the center should read between 185\u00b0F and 200\u00b0F. That takes the guessing out of it completely, and it\u2019s the same thermometer you\u2019d use for the turkey.<\/p>\n
What you\u2019re avoiding is overbaking.<\/strong> A pecan pie left in too long cracks across the surface and the filling goes grainy and can weep a little liquid. If the top is starting to split, it\u2019s done and then some.<\/p>\nThe filling firms up a lot as it cools,<\/strong> so a pie that looks slightly underdone coming out of the oven usually slices beautifully 3 hours later. If yours comes out loose in the middle even after a full cool, it needed another 5 to 10 minutes.<\/p>\nCan I Skip The Corn Syrup?<\/h2>\nYou can, and plenty of people would want to. Corn syrup keeps the sugar from crystallizing, which is why the filling comes out smooth and glossy rather than grainy. Any replacement needs to be a thick liquid sugar, not granulated.<\/p>\n
\nMaple syrup<\/strong> is my substitute. Use the same \u00be cup and add 1 tablespoon of flour on top of the tablespoon already in there, because maple syrup is thinner than corn syrup and the filling sets softer without the help. Flavor is lovely, and more noticeable than corn syrup, which tastes of almost nothing.<\/li>\nGolden syrup<\/strong> is the closest match for texture if you can find it, and it goes in cup for cup with nothing else changed.<\/li>\nHoney<\/strong> works and tastes strongly of honey, so use it if you want that. It also browns faster, so keep an eye on the top in the last 10 minutes.<\/li>\nBrown rice syrup<\/strong> is mild and thick and behaves a lot like corn syrup.<\/li>\nWhat I wouldn\u2019t use<\/strong> is molasses on its own, which overwhelms everything else in the pie. A tablespoon of it alongside maple syrup is lovely though.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAnd if you are using corn syrup, light is neutral and dark has refiners syrup in it, which brings more color and a faint molasses note. I use dark.<\/p>\nDoes Pecan Pie Need To Be Refrigerated?<\/h2>\nYes. Pecan pie is made with eggs, which makes it a custard pie, and custard pies belong in the fridge once they\u2019ve cooled.<\/p>\n
Cool it completely on the counter first,<\/strong> which it needs anyway for the filling to set. Then cover it and refrigerate, and don\u2019t leave it sitting out longer than about 2 hours before it goes in.<\/p>\nIt keeps 3 to 4 days<\/strong> covered loosely with foil or plastic wrap. Loosely, so condensation doesn\u2019t collect on the surface and soften your pecans.<\/p>\nTake it out 30 to 60 minutes before serving.<\/strong> Cold from the fridge the filling is very firm and the flavors are muted. At room temperature it\u2019s exactly right.<\/p>\nOne useful side effect: a chilled pecan pie slices far more cleanly than one at room temperature. If you want neat pieces for a table, cut them cold and then let the slices come up to temperature on the plates.<\/p>\n
The pecan pies sold unrefrigerated on grocery store shelves are made with preservatives and a different formula. Yours isn\u2019t one of those.<\/p>\nCan You Freeze Pecan Pie?<\/h2>\nYes, and pecan pie freezes better than almost any other pie, up to 3 months<\/strong>. Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap and a layer of foil on the outside. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and then let it come to room temperature on the counter before you slice it.<\/p>\nYou can freeze it in slices too,<\/strong> which I do more often than whole pies. Wrap each one individually and you can take out exactly as many as you need.<\/p>\nTo bring the crust back,<\/strong> 10 minutes in a 275\u00b0F oven after thawing crisps it up again. Not essential, but nice.<\/p>\nAnd if you\u2019d rather just get ahead by a day or 2, bake it, cool it, wrap it in plastic and keep it in the fridge until you need it. No freezer required.<\/p>\n
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