A pecan pie is one of the most popular Thanksgiving dishes, and it is a very simple and easy recipe. This dish includes a lot of pecan nuts. These nuts are very healthy and tasty. Pecan nuts are free from any cholesterol or sodium.1 They are quite low in calories. These nuts are healthy, but when we add them to the pie, they might not be this healthy, but they will be delicious.
If you follow the correct steps, it will be fine in the fridge for over a month. Just like filling the pie crust, it is also very easy to make. The pecan pie filling has eggs, so it takes a higher temperature and longer to bake them. There is a correct way to determine when the pecan pie is ready to avoid eating overcooked or undercooked pecan pie. It would be best if you tried it with some ice cream.
1. What is Pecan?
Many people don’t know that pecans are a type of nut and have many health benefits. They grow on big trees and have a cover on them. We have to break the outer layer to eat these nuts, but you can easily find peeled pecan nuts in the market now. They were initially found in Mexico.
It is impossible to break the pecan nutshell with teeth because it is extremely hard, and they have a shape similar to an oval. The raw pecans are free from cholesterol and do not have too much sodium. Pecan is also very low in calories. They have been used in many desserts or other dishes for a long time.
2. How to Make a Pecan Pie
It is extremely simple to make a pecan pie at home, and you do not need any special tricks to make it. But people still struggle with the question of how to know when pecan pie is done. You must add all the ingredients in the correct amount and follow the proper method. The sweetness in a pecan pie can be changed according to your own needs, but the other things can’t be changed.
People planning on making a pecan pie or any other pie would need a pie pan. Please note that the pie pan comes in many different dimensions, and you have to find the one that fulfills your requirements.
Also, look for online platforms or local culinary schools that offer baking and pastry classes. Joining a cooking class allows you to refine your pecan pie-making skills. It provides an opportunity to connect with a community of fellow food enthusiasts, share experiences, and learn from experienced chefs.
- Now, let’s start to learn how to make a perfect pecan pie. Start by making a pie crust dough. To make the pie dough, you just have to mix some sugar and salt in some flour.
- Now add some butter and mix it, and then add cold water, make a dough, and let it rest for some time.
- Then, make a thin sheet with the pie dough and spread it in the pie pan.
- Now, take a bowl and some sugar, brown sugar, salt, butter, and eggs in it and mix them with the help of a spatula.
- Once you can see some foam, add some vanilla extract and mix. Also, chop and add some pecan nuts to it.
- Now, you can pour the mixture into the pie pan and put some whole pecan nuts on top of it in a particular pattern and it will be ready to bake.
- Ensure to bake it at a high temperature because it has eggs. The filling should be a little jiggly from the middle, and it would be a sign that the pecan pie is ready to take out now.
3. How to Know When Pecan Pie is Done
It can be a little tricky to solve how to know when pecan pie is done. We cook it at a high temperature so it does not stop cooking right after we take it out of the oven. We have to take it out at the correct time to prevent it from overcooking. In this portion, I will tell you some practical ways to know when the pecan pie is perfectly ready.
3.1. Jiggly Filling
The filling plays an essential role in a pie because it has all the good stuff. If you don’t like to eat something too sweet, then add less sugar than recommended to meet your expectations. When cooking or baking a pecan pie, observe the filling by taking it out in the middle. It takes almost about an hour to cook a pecan pie, but it may differ according to the size of your pie pan.
To check the filling of the pie, jiggle it with one hand, and if you see a wave-like structure, you need to cook it for some more time. If you see that the middle part of the filling is only a little jiggly, it is ready, and you can now take it out. The pie must be fully cooked; otherwise, you will be able to get the flavor of an egg in it.
3.2. The Crust of the Pecan Pie
It would not be good if you paid all the attention to the filling of the pie. Crust is as important as the filling in a pie because if the pie doesn’t have a golden brown crust, it will not taste good. While baking a pie, also pay some attention to the crust. Cover the pecan pie with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
When you take out the pecan pie out of the oven observe the edges of the pie. If you see that the edges are golden brown, set it to cool down to room temperature because the pecan pie is ready now. Even if the filling is a little running at that time, it will set more once you take it out because it does not stop cooking.
3.3. Cracks
Some people like to make some beautiful patterns on top of the pecan pie with the pie crust dough. It can also help us to know when the pie is perfectly cooked. When the crust starts to have some cracks on it, that means that the pecan pie is ready. Some people ignore these cracks, but they can help you all in this way. Make a perfect pie dough with enough hard crust and a soft, jiggly filling.
3.4. Temperature of the Pecan Pie
This can be one of the easiest ways to know when the pecan pie is ready. You can check the temperature of any food item, and the professionals use this method only. It’s a perfect tool to get a perfectly cooked dish. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the middle part of the pecan pie.
If the temperature is acceptable, then simply take the pie out and let it cool down. A pecan pie can taste really good if it is cooked with the correct method. With some practice, everyone can gain the incredible skill to bake the perfect pecan pie.
4. Correct Way to Store a Pecan Pie
There is a correct way to store homemade pecan pie. The store-bought pecan pie can be left at room temperature, and it will still not get bad because it has some preservatives. On the other hand, the homemade pecan pie can be a little tricky to store. If you want to store a whole pecan pie or some leftovers, don’t store them in the fridge.
Instead of this, put them in an airtight container and keep them in the deep freezer. This way allows you to store the pecan pie for months, and when you want to use the frozen pecan pie, take it out of the freezer an hour earlier. Then, you can slowly cook it and serve each slice with some ice cream on top of it.
Here, we discussed pecan pies and the correct way to bake them. Anything with egg needs to be baked at a higher temperature. Pecan nuts are usually low in cholesterol, but when you use them to bake a pie, they lose their nutritive value.
If you are making a pecan pie, then pay some extra attention to the crust of the pie because it should be flaky and crispy. A good pie has a flaky crust and a soft and smooth filling.
- Gardea, A. A., Martínez-Téllez, M. A., & Yahia, E. M. (2011). Pecan (Carya illinoiensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch.). In Postharvest biology and technology of tropical and subtropical fruits (pp. 143-166e). Woodhead Publishing. ↩︎
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