An almost perfect pecan pie that features a homemade salted caramel for maximum ooey gooey-ness! This pairs well with a scoop of ice cream!
A few weeks ago, I was at the library and browsed the new releases stacks. I came across this book called Pie is Messy and it piqued my interest. After flipping through the book, I decided to borrow it.
When I got home, I saw several promising recipes (maple custard, anyone?). After my husband got a hold of the cookbook, he immediately fell in love with the idea of a salted caramel pecan pie recipe that he found. And so his mission to influence me was on. He went to the pantry to see how many pecans we had in there and checked to see what other ingredients I needed. Surprisingly, the only thing I needed to buy were pecans.
So the next trip to the grocery store, I made sure to buy pecans. And the following day, I made this pie while he was golfing. When he returned, he could smell the aroma from the pie and asked what I had been baking. Much to his delight and surprise, the pie was ready for him to devour.
The salted caramel pecan pie wasn’t difficult to make, but there were a few things that were a bit off-putting for me. First, the caramel was made with corn syrup, which I typically don’t like to use a lot of. I prefer some good old homemade caramel that’s made from sugar and heavy cream. However, since this is a pie and needed a different type of caramel for the dessert, I went with it. Second, the caramel was way too sweet – even with the salt included. I would cut down on the sugar and/or double up on the salt because it gave me a bit of a toothy headache.
Even with the small issues in the pie, it was still good, and we still ate the whole thing.
Husband’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 4 out of 5
My rating: 4 out of 5
Salted caramel pecan pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup vegetable shortening cold
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup ice cold water plus more if needed
Filling
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pecans
Instructions
Make the crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and the salt. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut the shortening in until you achieve pea-sized crumbs.
- Slowly stream in the ice water a little bit at a time and mix with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. You may not need all of the water (or you might need more - it will depend on the humidity in your house).
- Knead the dough until it is soft and pliable. Flatten to a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Place the dough in a 9" or 10" pie pan and trim the edges. Flute the edges with your thumb and forefinger. Place the pie pan back in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.
Make the filling
- While the crust is chilling in the pie pan in the refrigerator, make the filling and preheat your oven to 350℉.
- In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the corn syrup and mix well.
- Take the saucepan off the heat (turn off the stove), and add in the brown sugar until it is lump-free. Add the eggs, vanilla, and the salt and whisk vigorously so the eggs don't scramble and that everything is thoroughly blended.
- Add the pecans on top of your pie crust. Try to arrange them in a single layer if you can.
- Pour the filling mixture on top of the pecans and bake in your preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until the filling rises to the top near the edge of the crust. The top may appear to start cracking, and that just means it's done baking.
- Cool the pie before slicing and serving.