I wasn’t planning on starting this put up for a pie recipe with something apart from a narrative about how a lot I appreciated it, encouraging you to make it. (Which I’ll get to later.) However after I had began writing it, a number of neighborhoods in Paris got here beneath assault, together with mine, and I put all the things on maintain.
Cafés and eating places that I knew, and areas that I frequent, have been targets, as was the realm across the theatre the place my out of doors market is, which suffered the worst of it. Everybody I do know is okay, however others weren’t so lucky. It’s a loopy world we live in and sometimes we simply see it on tv and swap the channels to one thing extra entertaining, so we don’t have to consider it. However when it occurs proper outdoors your door, or in a metropolis that you just love a lot (whether or not you reside there or are simply an occasional customer), you’ll be able to’t keep away from the shock and the grief. Along with some introspection, my hope is that it will deliver a dialog and dialogue that may one way or the other deal with why – and the way – this occurred, and the place to go from right here.
I couldn’t consider an excellent transition from the heartbreaking tragedy, to pie, and I’m not used to being brief on phrases, so I’ll simply say that I used to be glad to have this pie sitting on the counter in spite of everything that occurred this weekend. It made us really feel somewhat higher.
Some say baking heals and whereas I’m not a lot for catch-phrases and slogans, it did really feel good to be rolling out some dough to have a pie round. And a brand new one to me, at that. Just a few years in the past I gave pecan pie a makeover utilizing darkish chocolate chunks, which got here out so effectively that it turned my go-to pecan pie.
However with the upcoming holidays arriving, I used to be perusing First Prize Pies from Allison Kave of Butter & Scotch, in search of one other pie to make for the fêtes, and landed on her Bourbon ginger-pecan pie.
As luck would have it, along with a bag of lovely pecans, I additionally had a bottle of Knob Creek smoked maple bourbon that was so good that it was freaking me out. It was a present from my bourbon-loving good friend Elizabeth Karmel and I used to be in search of a chance to crack it open. Current occasions make me understand that you just don’t essentially have to squirrel all the things away till one other time or reserve it till later. Possibly now it that point.
This dialed-up pecan pie received first prize on the Brooklyn Pie Bake-Off, and if you happen to’ve visited Brooklyn in the previous couple of years, you’ll know that there’s some heavy competitors on the market within the cooking and baking classes. In order that’s saying one thing. Allison famous {that a} heavy hand with the bourbon is all the time appreciated. (And I agree.) However it’s additionally particular due to the triple-whammy of ginger, courtesy of a handful of candied ginger, a spoonful of dried ginger, and a dose of freshly grated ginger within the nutty filling.
It was onerous to interrupt him whereas he was consuming the pie so ravenously. However when he got here up for air, Romain mentioned it was the most effective factor he’d ever eaten. And that’s coming from somebody who’s typically checked out me quizzically when served a number of the meals related to Thanksgiving that perplex the French: Gravy? Pepperidge Farm stuffing combine? A one-week obsession with cranberries? Marshmallows? Candy potatoes? Marshmallows and candy potatoes collectively?
It helps that he, like all sane particular person, loves maple syrup, in addition to contemporary and candied ginger, which the French name gingembre confit. I gotta say, I liked this pie as a lot as he did. The zing of ginger actually took it up beaucoup de notches, not only one notch, and the pictures of bourbon helped mood what’s historically a reasonably candy dessert, which this pie isn’t. Or wasn’t, I ought to say. As a result of it’s now long-gone.
Whipped cream is all the time the basic to serve with pecan pie. Should you’re in search of an ice cream to pair with it, I like to recommend white chocolate-fresh ginger ice cream, or it may additionally be good with milk chocolate ice cream as a substitute, if you happen to’re somebody – like me – that has a tough time imagining dessert with out chocolate. And if that’s the case, bourbon all the time performs a good second fiddle to chocolate. The pecans and maple syrup-rich filling are an added bonus.
Pecan Pie with Bourbon and Ginger
I liked the thought of including three sorts of ginger to pecan pie and utilizing maple syrup as a sweetener. Should you don’t have maple syrup, you’ll be able to go along with golden syrup, which is offered in well-stocked supermarkets (relying on the place you reside), or on-line. I’ve not used it, however some advocate sorghum syrup as one other substitute.
As a result of I’m like that, I veered from the unique proportions a bit. One was that I added just a few extra pecans, and toasted them first, including a further handful to the baking sheet to make up for those that I nibbled on. ; ) I additionally added some melted butter to the filling to offer it somewhat further silky richness.
Should you don’t need to use bourbon, darkish rum could be a pleasant substitution, as would Cognac or rye whiskey. If you wish to omit the liquor, simply add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and some drops of lemon juice to counterbalance the brown sugar and maple syrup.
Though I didn’t do it, you might brush the rim with an egg wash – one egg yolks blended with 1-2 teaspoons of milk, and brush it over the rim earlier than baking the pie. If glazing the rim, it could must be coated throughout baking if it will get too darkish earlier than the filling is finished. You’ll be able to style strips of aluminum foil to cowl the rim of the pie if that occurs.
For the dough
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces (115g) chilled unsalted butter, cubed
- 3-4 tablespoons ice water
For the pecan pie filling
- 1 cup (215g) packed darkish brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (125ml) darkish amber maple syrup
- 3 massive eggs, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons melted butter, salted or unsalted
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 teaspoons grated contemporary ginger
- 1 teaspoon floor (dried) ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (225g) pecans, evenly toasted, very coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup (50g) candied ginger, finely chopped
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To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, and salt within the bowl of a meals processor, or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (The dough may also be made by hand, in a bowl with a pastry blender, or utilizing your fingers.) Add the chilled butter and blend or pulse the dough till the butter is damaged up into small items in regards to the dimension of peas.
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Add 3 tablespoons of ice water and blend till the dough begins to come back collectively. If crucial, add 1 extra tablespoon of water if the dough wants it to come back collectively. Flip the dough out on a piece floor and provides it just a few turns along with your fingers. Form the dough right into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for not less than 1 hour.
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Roll the dough on a evenly floured floor, or between two items of parchment paper till it’s about 13-inches (33cm) in diameter. Brush off any extra flour and switch it to a 9-inch (23cm) pie plate or pan. Tuck the overhanging edges beneath, between the rim of the pie plate and the dough, and crimp the sting of the dough. Chill the dough within the fridge till agency.
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To bake the pie dough, preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Prick the pie dough just a few instances with a fork. Line the pie dough with aluminum foil and fill midway with beans, rice, or pie weights. Bake till the dough is ready and beginning to get evenly golden brown, about 15 to twenty minutes. Elevate out the foil with the weights and bake till the dough is well-browned, about 5 to eight minutes extra. Flip the oven right down to 350ºF (180ºC).
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To make the filling, in a big bowl, whisk collectively the brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs, melted butter, bourbon, contemporary ginger, floor ginger, vanilla, and salt. Stir within the pecans and candied ginger.
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Pour the filling into the prebaked tart shell and bake till the middle of the pie is appears nearly set. It ought to nonetheless jiggle somewhat. Start checking it on the 40 minute mark, however it could take 45 to 50 minutes to achieve that time of doneness. Take away it from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
The dough may be made as much as two days prematurely and refrigerated, or frozen for as much as two months, both unrolled, or rolled out and fitted into the pan.
The baked pie may be saved at room temperature for as much as 4 days. I’ve not frozen pecan pie however it may most likely be performed, if effectively wrapped.
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