Throughout the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to Christmas, I like to bake different pecan pies, each baked differently, entirely different… liquored up, or just one that is basic, and one that has to be chocolate-pecan… It takes me back there, where I first discovered it. This whipped cream isn’t very sweet, and it doesn’t have to be, just so it compliments the pie, that it doesn’t take away from the sweetness of the pecan pie.
Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie ~
~ adapted from Diane Unger ~
Single-Crust Pie Dough: Process 3/4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt until combined. Add 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter and 1/4 cup chilled vegetable shortening. Process for 10 seconds. Add 1/2 cup flour, additionally, and pulse.
In a fine stream through the tube of the food processor, add 2 tablespoons cold vodka and 2 tablespoons ice cold water. After dough comes together, flatten into a disc and refrigerate for an hour before use.
Set the oven temp to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position in the oven. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack to heat up, for the pie to rest on when ready for baking.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out, plop into a large pie plate, do the trimming around the edges as desired, dock the pie, then place back into the refrigerator while the filling is made.
At this time, turn up the oven temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
On the stove top, on medium heat in a heavy saucepan, cook to dissolve 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 cup pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoon molasses and 1/2 cup heavy cream. This will need to take but just 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop pecans.
Measure 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans. Toast them lightly in a skillet over the stove top to toast briefly.
Lightly beat 6 egg yolks. Whisk together 4 tablespoons unsalted melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt; then whisk into the syrup mixture.
Take cold pie shell from the ‘frig and fill with chopped pecans. Pour filling over the pecans into the pie shell. Carefully place the pie onto the baking sheet on the very bottom rack of the oven. Immediately turn down the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Cool pie on a rack for 1 hour and then refrigerate until set; desirably, 3 hours in the refrigerator before serving.
Bourbon Whipped Cream: Using the whisk attachment in a standing mixer, whisk on high-speed 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons bourbon, 1 1/2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
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