The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (334 page)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Pecan pies can be overwhelmingly sweet, with no real pecan flavor. And they too often turn out curdled and separated. What’s more, the weepy filling makes the bottom crust soggy and leathery. The fact that the crust usually seems underbaked to begin with doesn’t help matters. We wanted to create a recipe for a not-too-sweet pie with a smooth-textured filling and a properly baked bottom crust. We tackled this pie’s problems by using brown sugar, for rich, deep flavor, and reducing the amount, so the pecan flavor could take center stage. We also partially baked the crust, which kept it crisp. We found that it’s important to add the hot filling to a warm pie crust as this helps keep the crust from getting soggy. In addition, we discovered that simulating a double boiler when you’re melting the butter and making the filling is an easy way to maintain gentle heat, which helps ensure that the filling doesn’t curdle.

SERVES 8

You can use
FOOLPROOF
,
ALL-BUTTER
, or
CLASSIC SINGLE-CRUST PIE DOUGH
for this pie. The crust must still be warm when the filling is added. To serve the pie warm, let it cool thoroughly so that it sets completely, then warm it in a 250-degree oven for about 15 minutes and slice. Serve with vanilla ice cream or
WHIPPED CREAM
.

1.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Melt butter in heatproof bowl set in skillet of water maintained at just below simmer. Remove bowl from skillet and stir in sugar and salt until butter is absorbed. Whisk in eggs, then corn syrup and vanilla until smooth. Return bowl to hot water and stir until mixture is shiny, hot to touch, and registers 130 degrees. Off heat, stir in pecans.

2.
Pour pecan mixture into warm prebaked pie crust. Bake pie until filling looks set but yields like Jell-O when gently pressed with back of spoon, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let pie cool on wire rack until filling has set, about 2 hours; serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

To make a buttermilk chess pie, omit the nuts and raisins.

Substitute 1¹⁄
₂
cups (10¹⁄
₂
ounces) granulated sugar for brown sugar and ²⁄
₃
cup buttermilk for corn syrup and vanilla. Reduce pecans to ¹⁄
₂
cup and stir into pie filling along with ¹⁄
₂
cup raisins, chopped fine.

More liquid than corn syrup, maple syrup yields a softer, more custardlike pie. Toasted walnuts can be substituted for pecans. We prefer to use Grade B or Grade A dark amber maple syrup for this recipe.

Reduce butter to 4 tablespoons and pecans to 1¹⁄
₂
cups. Substitute ¹⁄
₂
cup granulated sugar for brown sugar and 1 cup maple syrup for corn syrup and vanilla.

SERVES 8

You can use
FOOLPROOF
,
ALL-BUTTER
, or
CLASSIC SINGLE-CRUST PIE DOUGH
for this pie. Use either just one type of chocolate listed or a combination of two or three types. The crust must still be warm when the filling is added. To serve the pie warm, let it cool thoroughly so that it sets completely, then warm it in a 250-degree oven for about 15 minutes and slice.

1.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Melt butter in heatproof bowl set in skillet of water maintained at just below simmer. Remove bowl from skillet and stir in sugar and salt until butter is absorbed. Whisk in eggs, then corn syrup and vanilla until smooth. Return bowl to hot water and stir until mixture is shiny, hot to touch, and registers 130 degrees. Off heat, stir in pecans.

2.
Pour pecan mixture into warm prebaked pie crust. Scatter chocolate over top and lightly press it into filling with back of spoon. Bake pie until filling looks set but yields like Jell-O when gently pressed with back of spoon, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let pie cool on wire rack until filling has set, about 2 hours; serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

There’s a lot that can go wrong with a custard pie. The crust can be soggy, the outer ring of custard often overcooks, and the flavor can easily cross over into “eggy,” which is a little ironic because a custard wouldn’t be a custard without eggs. We wanted a custard pie with a crisp crust, a tender yet flavorful filling, and a relatively foolproof cooking method. For the custard, we used a combination of milk and heavy cream, which gave us a pie that was neither overly heavy nor too lean. We thickened the dairy with three whole eggs and a small amount of cornstarch; less than a cup of sugar was necessary to sweeten this mixture. Vanilla, nutmeg, and salt provided ample warmth and flavor. To avoid overcooked custard at the edges of the pie, we cooked our filling in a saucepan until it thickened, then poured the hot filling into a hot, prebaked pie crust and baked it briefly.

SERVES 8

You can use
ALL-BUTTER
or
“CLASSIC SINGLE-CRUST PIE DOUGH FOR CUSTARD PIES”
for this pie. The pie finishes cooking with residual heat; to ensure that the filling sets, let it cool at room temperature and not in the refrigerator. The crust and filling must both be warm when the filling is added.

1.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat milk and cream in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming, about 6 minutes.

2.
Meanwhile, whisk sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt together in medium bowl. Slowly whisk 1 cup of warm milk mixture into egg mixture to temper, then slowly whisk tempered egg mixture into remaining milk mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken and forms ridge on tip of spoon when bottom of pan is scraped and spoon is lifted, 6 to 8 minutes.

3.
Pour custard into warm prebaked pie crust. Bake pie until edges are set but center jiggles slightly when shaken, 12 to 15 minutes. Let pie cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 4 hours. Serve.

Decrease vanilla to 1 teaspoon and substitute 1¹⁄
₂
tablespoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons) for nutmeg. Add 1¹⁄
₂
tablespoons lemon juice to sugar along with vanilla and lemon zest.

Decrease vanilla to 1 teaspoon and substitute 1¹⁄
₂
tablespoons grated orange zest for nutmeg. Add 1¹⁄
₂
tablespoons orange juice to sugar along with vanilla and orange zest.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

A great vanilla cream pie depends on a great filling; not even a crisp crust can save a pie made with filling that’s too stiff, soupy, gummy, or flat in flavor. We wanted to find the right cooking method, flavorings, and thickener that would guarantee a substantial, yet velvety filling. We relied on egg yolks to keep the filling creamy and soft and cornstarch to make it just thick and stiff enough to cut. Evaporated milk provided subtle caramel undertones, and brandy amplified the vanilla’s warmth. We poured the filling into the cooled pie shell when it was warm, not hot. When hot, the filling was more liquid and settled in a very compact layer; the warm filling, having had a chance to set a bit, mounded when poured into the shell so when we cut into it, the slices were neater. To improve the crust in our cream pie, we coated the pastry lightly with graham cracker crumbs when rolling it out to help it to retain its light, crisp texture when the filling was added.

SERVES 8

You can use
ALL-BUTTER
or
“CLASSIC SINGLE-CRUST PIE DOUGH FOR CUSTARD PIES”
for this pie. Some tasters preferred a stronger brandy flavor in the filling, so we give a range below. The filling should be warm when poured into the cooled pie crust.

FILLING

TOPPING

1. FOR THE FILLING:
Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in medium saucepan. Whisk in evaporated milk, followed by egg yolks, and finally milk, until smooth. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds, then combine vanilla bean and seeds with sugar mixture. Bring mixture to simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and becomes smooth, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in butter and brandy. Let mixture cool until just warm, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

2.
Remove vanilla bean and pour warm filling into cooled prebaked pie crust. Lay sheet of plastic wrap directly on surface of filling and refrigerate pie until filling is chilled and set, about 4 hours.

3. FOR THE TOPPING:
Once pie is chilled, use stand mixer fitted with whisk to whip cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Spread whipped cream attractively over top of pie.

The safest and best place for the banana slices is sandwiched between two layers of filling. If sliced over the pie crust, the bananas tend to moisten the crust; if sliced over the filling top or mashed and folded into the filling, they turn brown faster.

Pour half of warm filling into cooled prebaked pie crust. Peel 2 bananas and slice thin crosswise over filling. Top with remaining filling. Continue with recipe.