Last week, a literal “pie” chart from Modern Farmer kept popping up in my Facebook feed. The graph showed when to make which type of pie based on the seasonality of ingredients, and for the most part, I agree with it. Apple season is in October, peaches taste best in June, and so forth. Except they had their pecan pie recipe slated for January?
I call blasphemy. Pecan pie is a Thanksgiving (and therefore November) classic, right up there with turkey, stuffing, and the sweet potato casserole. The perfect complement to pumpkin, pecan pie is a must-have for the holiday feast.
My family normally follows the directions right off the bottle of Karo syrup, but this year (despite Modern Farmer’s dissenting opinion) we’re switching things up with a recipe from everyone’s favorite “new girl,” Zooey Deschanel.
With a homemade crust and molasses garnish, her mother’s variation is a bit more time intensive than our traditional take, but we’re willing to give it a go. Prep the ingredients below, then click over to Rachael Ray’s website to watch Zooey finish the dish.
Ingredients:
For the pie crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting
A pinch of salt
1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water
For the filling:
1 cup dark Karo syrup
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
A mound of pecan halves, enough to fill the crust
Molasses, for garnish, about 1/4 cup