Pecan Pie

Each Thanksgiving we have the same conversation to pick the pies for the Thanksgiving dessert table (or maybe debate is a better word for it based on how strongly our family feels about pie). For many years, pecan pie always made its way into the conversation but never was the source of anyone’s heated rebuttal. Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving, pecan pie was the forgotten pie on our Thanksgiving table. Some years it would make an appearance, while other years it would get the boot to make space for apple or pumpkin pie. We always went back and forth on pecan or no pecan pie until we recipe tested this version.

This pecan pie is truly the best we’ve ever had. It turned the pecan pie skeptics in our family into fanatics. It has become one of our favorite pies and is now a staple on our Thanksgiving table. 

What makes this pecan pie the best?

The pie, like any great pie, starts with a flaky, all butter, blind baked crust. If you’ve seen our pie recipes before, most of our pies start this way to ensure maximum flake texture and golden color. The middle layer is sticky yet not overly sweet. It’s soft and flavored by the brown sugar, vanilla, and a touch of bourbon. The star of the filling is our secret ingredient, orange zest. The orange zest adds a bright note to the sticky, sweet filling that makes it balanced and irresistible. All these flavors marry together and form a perfect soft layer sitting above the flaky crust. We then pour pecans through the filling for a nutty taste and crunch. This pecan pie is soft, buttery, and scattered with toasted pecans throughout. Plus the addition of our secret ingredient, orange zest, cuts through the sweetness of the filling adding complexity to this traditional Thanksgiving pie. 

Making the pecan pie:

To make the filling, start by beating together the butter and brown sugar until combined. Once they are combined, add in the eggs one at a time. Whip everything together until the mixture is well combined. Next, add in the vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, dark corn syrup, salt, bourbon, and orange zest. 

Once the filling is made, place the 1 ½ cups of the pecans into a par-baked pie crust. Pour the filling over top of the pecans only until it is just under filled. If you have a smaller pie pan or your filling is reaching the brim, reserve the filling for another use. You don’t want to over fill this as it will puff a little when it bakes. Once the pie is filled, place the reserved half of the pecans over top. You can do this in a pattern for a more ornate look. 

Notes:

1. Orange Zest: this is the secret ingredient that makes this pie so great. You can leave it off if you don’t like the taste but we strongly recommend it! 
2. Bourbon: the bourbon adds a depth of flavor that pairs so well with the sweet, buttery pecan filling. You barely notice it, but we strongly recommend this step for the best taste. For this pie we recommend using Maker’s Mark as it has notes of butterscotch which pair well with the brown sugar and citrus in the filling.
3. Blind baking the pie shell: If you have made our pies before, we almost always recommend this for the flakiest bottom, but you can use a raw pie crust, too. This is our favorite flaky all butter recipe.

Entertainer’s Note:

We love to serve this pie with a cinnamon whipped cream for a silky topping with each bite!