Toasted Pecan Pie, Perfection

Toasted pecan pie, with loads of toasted pecans and using golden syrup instead of corn syrup for extra flavor is perfection. This pecan pie isn’t your ordinary pecan pie.

When I think of the Holidays, the first dessert I want isn’t pumpkin. It’s pecan pie. By far, it is what I reach for. This caramelly and eggy confection filled with pecans and always topped with vanilla ice cream makes the holidays for me. Calorie packed and a real indulgence, this pie is a tasty treat. Pecan pie always makes me a happy camper at the holidays.

Truly an American dessert, pecan pie is deep roots in American tradition. Pecans are native to the Southern Mississippi Valley, and they were propagated by the Native Americans as far north as Illinois for centuries. Farming pecans spread across the south following the Civil War to places like Georgia, Alabama, and Texas. Rumor has it that pecan pie was invented somewhere in Louisiana by French settlers around the mid-1800s. The early recipes called for molasses or even cream as part of the liquid, but by the time Pecan Pie became part of Thanksgiving in the early 20th century, corn syrup became one of the main ingredients.

Over the years, I have made many versions of this classic pie, searching for the perfect recipe. I have always come close but never perfection until last Thanksgiving, I tried Smitten Kitchen’s version using golden syrup instead of the usual corn syrup. That recipe came so incredibly close to what I have strived for and is a fantastic recipe. Perhaps it was missing enough nuts, as in my opinion, you can never have too many pecans in a pecan pie! And her recipe makes a 9-inch pie where I wanted to use my beautiful Emile Henry 9-10-inch pie pan. It says it is 9 inches in the description, but it is closer to 10″. This year I decided to see if I could perfect it even more and make one full of toasted nuts that fit a 10-inch pie pan.

Behold! This pecan pie is incredible. I have tried to really write out all the steps to how to make the perfect pecan pie. There are a few things to learn here: This recipe has the perfect ratio of toasted nuts to egg custard filling. By toasting the pecans, it brings out the nutty flavor, and by making sure to prebake the crust, the crust will be absolutely perfect, with no “Soggy Bottom” to be found. I used my Vodka pie crust for this pie, and that also is really a great recipe that makes an incredible flakey crust, this time I used Spring44’s honey vodka instead of the vanilla vodka. You can use your favorite crust recipe too. This recipe calls for golden syrup instead of corn syrup. This staple of the U.K. imparts an even more caramelly flavor. There is a bit of salt in golden syrup, so if you are using regular butter there is no need to add salt. The salt imparts a more caramel flavor to the syrup. It brings some extra delicious flavor to this classic pie. The addition of this syrup really transformed the pie into a whole different level and made it well worth seeking out places to buy this fantastic ingredient. You can find golden syrup in many grocery stores, and Amazon has it here too.

Follow all the directions to make this Toasted Pecan pie. You will have an incredible pastry filled with warm toasted goodness that is well worth all the effort. Transform your pecan pie into the highlight of your holiday entertainment, and you will not be disappointed. As always, please stay safe, healthy, and think of others in your choices. I hope your Holidays are still filled with love and joy.

Print

Toasted Pecan Pie

Filled with loads of toasted pecans and using golden syrup instead of corn syrup for extra flavor, this pecan pie isn’t your ordinary pecan pie.

Course: Dessert, Holiday, pie

Cuisine: American

Keyword: desserts, Pecan pie, pecans, pie, sweets

Servings: 1 10 inch pie

Ingredients

• 1 single-crust pie dough recipe I used my vodka pie crust recipe

Filling

• 6 tablespoons butter or use unsalted
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup golden syrup
• 1 pinch sea salt if using unsalted butter
• 3 cups pecan halves
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon optional
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs

Instructions

1. Roll out the pie dough to roughly around a 13-to-14-inch circle.
2. Gently fold the dough into quarters and unfold into a 10-inch pie dish.
3. Trim the dough if necessary, leaving around a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the edges under the dough and crimp decoratively or with a fork to make an edge.
4. Place the prepared pie dish into the freezer and let freeze for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 400°
6. Line the frozen pie dish with parchment paper or buttered foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or whatever you can find that is oven safe. I use a bag of dried lima beans that I have kept for years. Make sure to evenly distribute the weights to keep the sides and bottom from puffing up while baking.
7. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet for ease of handling.
8. Prebake the pie crust for 20 minutes.
9. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn the oven down to 350°
10. Remove the pie weights and the liner. Let cool while you prepare the filling. Keeping it on the baking sheet will make transferring the pie to the oven easier.
11. Place the pecans on a separate baking sheet or even a baking dish, and toast for about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the nuts about halfway through to keep them from burning, keep a close eye on them as to not burn the nuts. They can go from nicely toasted to burned in a flash. The pecans will be fragrant and just slightly brown and crisp.
12. While the nuts are toasting, combine the brown sugar, golden syrup, and butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Let the mixture come to a boil to dissolve the brown sugar and melt the butter. Set aside to cool briefly.
13. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs until frothy.
14. Beat in the optional bourbon, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.
15. Beat in the warm but not hot syrup mixture.
16. Stir in the toasted pecans.
17. Pour the pecan pie filling into the cooled pie crust.
18. If desired, cover the pie crust's edge with some foil to keep it from getting too dark.
19. Bake the Pecan pie for 40-50 minutes. The edges of the filling should be set and puffed up and look sort of firm. But the middle should still be a little jiggly. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.

Recipe Notes

This pie can be served at room temperature, but in my opinion, it is at its absolute best served warm with a big scoop of ice cream.

For this recipe, the syrup and the pie crust don’t have to be room temperature. The various parts just have to be cool enough to not cook the eggs when you add them.

You can skip the prebaking of the pie crust. But you will not get a nice crisp crust and will risk a soggy bottom.