Craig & Kathleen Claiborne's Mississippi Pecan Pie
Food52
Photo by Bobbi Lin
- Serves
- 8 to 10
This is Craig’s mother's recipe, shared in an early New York Times cookbook. It’s sweet but not too sweet, and has a less jiggly filling than most. In short, it’s perfect. Recipe adapted from the New York Times Cookbook recipe.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 16 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoon shortening, well chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 5 to 8 tablespoon ice water
For the filling
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 1/2 cup pecan pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup pecan halves
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Directions
For the crust
- Step 1
Using a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, and salt together to sift.
- Step 2
Add the well-chilled butter and shortening. Use short rapid pulses until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal and no pieces of butter larger than a pea remain.
- Step 3
Add half of the water (approximately 3 tablespoons) and pulse 5 or 6 times. The dough will be crumbly, but should begin to hold together when a small amount is picked up and pressed together. Sprinkle on more water, a teaspoon (or 2, if doubling to make the two crusts) at a time, with 2 to 3 quick pulses after each addition, adding just enough water for the dough to hold together easily when pressed into a ball.
- Step 4
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press together into a ball, then flatten into a disk about 6 inches in diameter (make two disks if doubling). Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
For the filling
- Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Step 2
Roll pastry into a 10-inch pie plate, cover with waxed paper and pie weights.
- Step 3
Reduce heat to 375° F. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove weights and bake 2 to 3 more minutes until crust is golden brown.
- Step 4
Remove pie crust and reduce heat to 350° F.
- Step 5
Brush pie shell with egg white.
- Step 6
In a small saucepan, mix corn syrup and brown sugar. Boil over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Step 7
Beat eggs and add syrup. Then add melted butter, chopped pecans, and vanilla. Pour into shell, and arrange pecan halves on top.
- Step 8
Bake at 350° F for 40 to 50 minutes, until the center is set. (Cover with foil if pie starts to brown before the center is set.)