I swear I didn’t mean to take a month off from the ol’ blog. What a terrible absentee blogger I’ve been lately! Sorry about that. I promise it wasn’t intentional, but more a combination of several factors, including:
- Some recipes that just plain didn’t work out (and since I blog in my free time, I don’t always have time to plan/make/photograph a Plan B each week).
- Work being incredibly busy and sapping most of my energy.
- I was in Maui for 10 days!
So my apologies for disappearing for a month. I actually have had this pie recipe to share with you for a while, but honestly haven’t found the time to sit in front of my computer and edit the photographs and write the post. Yeesh, what a whiner I am today.
My husband recently informed me that pie is his favourite dessert. This is slightly tragic, as I can’t make a decent pie crust to save my life, but happily my favourite store-bought crust tastes just fine to us. Also, I can create delicious pie fillings (so long as I have something to pour them into), so let the pie party begin!
Today is Pi Day (March 14, or 3.14), so consider this my offering. My husband had never tasted pecan pie before (!!!) so I thought it was high time I whipped one up for his tasting pleasure. It was a success: he now claims pecan pie is his favourite kind. Victory! Although I’m starting to think he just changes his mind a lot, because I’m preeeetty sure his favourite dessert used to be chocolate chip cookies, and he seems to be changing his story quite frequently these days. Anyway.
This pie is wonderfully sweet and rich, but I adapted the recipe from Cooking Light so this version isn’t overly heavy. It’s sweetened with maple syrup and comes loaded with toasty, nutty pecans, which you can arrange decoratively (as I did) or just mix them into the filling and pour it all together (as I would likely have done if I weren’t photographing the finished product).
The vanilla bourbon whipped cream really pushes it over the top. If you’re a non-drinker, feel free to leave the booze out. The alcohol flavour isn’t overwhelming, but I love how it balances the sweetness of the pie and adds an extra layer of flavour.
The best part about this pie? If you use a pre-made pie crust, it can be prepped and ready for baking in the time it takes your oven to heat. Super fast, super easy, very tasty. Perfect for working gals, busy parents, or anyone with an oven and a wooden spoon and a craving for pie. Enjoy!
- 1 frozen or pre-made pie crust
- 1 cup dark corn syrup
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup pecan halves
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon Bourbon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have your pie crust ready (out of the freezer).
- In a medium bowl, combine corn syrup, maple syrup, flour, salt, eggs, and egg whites. Beat until well blended and flour is incorporated. Stir in chopped pecans and vanilla. Pour filling into pie crust. Arrange pecan halves on top of the filling.
- Bake in preheated oven until the centre is set and the pastry is golden brown. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip heavy cream using the whisk attachment until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add sugar, Bourbon, and vanilla and continue whipping until desired consistency is reached. Serve a dollop of cream atop cooled pie slices.
Source: Adapted from Cooking Light (Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie recipe)
