Southern Pecan Pie Laced With Whiskey
Ingredients
Southern Pecan Pie Laced With Whiskey
- 1½ cups chopped toasted pecans, plus ½ cup pecan halves
- 2 tablespoons whiskey or rum
- ½ recipe Best-Ever Pie Crust (recipe follows), unbaked
- 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup dark corn syrup
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Best-Ever Pie Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces butter (1 stick), cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
- ¼ cup lard or shortening, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
- 8 to 10 tablespoons ice-cold water
Directions
Southern Pecan Pie Laced With Whiskey
- Place the chopped toasted pecans in a small bowl and toss with the whiskey or rum until coated. Let stand 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Roll the dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate, and tuck it in as the crust recipe directs.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light. Beat in the corn syrup, eggs, salt, and vanilla. Stir in the whiskey-soaked pecans. Pour into the pie shell, and arrange the pecan halves on top in an attractive pattern.
- Bake until the filling is set but still has a slight jiggle in the middle, 55 to 60 minutes. (While baking, check to see that the edges of the crust aren’t browning too quickly; cover them with foil if they are.) Cool the pie slightly, then serve warm or at room temperature.
Best-Ever Pie Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Sprinkle half of the butter and lard over the flour and use your fingertips, a pastry blender, or two knives to cut and mix until the mixture resembles large peas. Sprinkle in the remaining butter and lard and cut and mix to coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the dough with ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and use a fork to lightly mix until the dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the ball in half. Press into two 1-inch-thick discs and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling, or freeze for later use.
- To blind-bake (prebake) the crust, preheat the oven to 375.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 12 inches in diameter. Drape the dough over the rolling pin or fold it into quarters and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Press the pastry evenly into the pan, without stretching to fit. Trim the edges and crimp decoratively, as desired. Prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Line the pie shell with the paper. Pour in pie weights, uncooked rice, or dried beans to cover the bottom and sides of the crust. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake the crust 5 minutes longer for a partially baked crust, or 10 minutes longer for a fully baked crust, until it looks dry and crisp.