Pecan Pie

After making my inspiration collage on pecan pie, I finally built up the courage to give making one a go :)  It was really easy – I don’t know what I was so scared of.  The butterscotch sauce that you make to pour over the pecans is divine – I kept eating it while I was trying to cool it down to add the eggs in.  I suspect this pie is not very friendly on the hips, but you know what, it tastes too good to pass up.

Serves about 10.

Sweet short pastry:
2 cups standard flour
1 ¼ cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
250g cold butter, cubed
2 –3 tablespoons icy water

Place all the ingredients – except the water – into a food processor.  Pulse until combined.
With the motor running, add enough water to the dough to form a ball.
Press into a greased 25cm round flan pan.  Chill for 1 hour.

Filling:
350g pecans, chopped coarsely
1 vanilla bean
2 cups cream
1 ¾ cups brown sugar
100g butter
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 170˚C.  Place an oven tray in the middle of the oven to heat.
Place the pecans onto the uncooked pastry base.
Slice the vanilla bean in half and place it with all the ingredients – except the eggs – in a saucepan.  Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves to make a butterscotch sauce.  Remove the vanilla bean, cool the sauce and add the eggs.

Pour the sauce over the pecans.  Place the flan pan in the oven tray and fan bake for 1 ¼ hours or until the pie has just set.  Serve in wedges.

 

Done.  Easy as pie aye?