Friday, December 16, 2011

Geeky Mom Gaming--The Old Republic Pecan Pie recipe

Pecan pie.
Image via Wikipedia
About 20 years back, Trusty Hubby asked for one thing for Christmas--a homemade pecan pie.  This was when I was working on my advanced degree, and we were poor and so couldn't afford much in the way of gifts. In fact, I think we were still watching TV on our old portable black-and-white TV that Hubby's mom had given him. Somewhere along the way, the plastic knob had broken off, and we had to use a pair of pliers to change the channel. Nothing was going to keep us from watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. We were determined.  By the way, Star Trek definitely looks better in color.

Anyway, I decided if that was what Hubby wanted for Christmas, I was going to make the best pecan pie I possibly could. Conveniently, the Columbus Dispatch had a pecan pie recipe in the food section that week. I also had the Joy of Cooking, which is quite possibly the best cookbook on the planet. If you do not have a copy, go get one and use it. Between the two, I put together a recipe that has become a family favorite. Is it low-calorie? Heck, no. Who makes low-calorie pecan pies? Sometimes you have to splurge. This pie does not have a regular pie crust. I decided to use a crumb crust instead, so it's about as full of pecans as can be.  Hubby loved it, and I've made it every Christmas since then.

The other day, Trusty Hubby invited a co-worker over for dinner and asked if I'd make pecan pie again.  I agreed.  When I mentioned that I had to go make dinner, I was asked by the folks online what we were having. I replied, "Homemade turkey soup, fresh pan rolls, and pecan pie." Then I was asked by someone if I would adopt him, and I think at some point there was a profession of True Love.  I also got a tell from Shayla, and we shared some cooking ideas. I told her I'd post a copy of the recipe.  Now, I love gaming in general, but MMO gaming is unique in the way it brings people from all over the world together. Who knew I'd be sharing a pecan pie recipe with an international community?  That's world diplomacy at its best.

For those of you with dairy allergies or food restrictions, use a dairy-free margarine for the crust. You can also substitute butter-flavored vegetable shortening, or a mix of  vegetable shortening and coconut oil. For the pecan pie filling, you can use 1 tablespoon of your favorite vegetable or nut oil in place of the butter.


The Old Republic Pecan Pie Recipe

Crumb crust:
1 cup (4 ounces) finely ground pecans
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Pecan pie filling
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 cup (4 ounces) pecans, chopped
3/4 cup (3 ounces) pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust--in a large bowl, mix the ground pecans, the 2 cups flour, and 1/2 cup sugar. Cut in the 3/4 cup butter until coarse crumbs form, about the size of small peas. Press the mix with your fingers into the bottom and sides of a 10 inch pie plate or quiche dish.  Bake about 7 minutes. It will not brown--that is OK.

For the filling--combine the sugar and flour.  Add the beaten eggs, corn syrup, and butter, and mix well. Stir in the chopped pecans. Pour into the crust.  Arrange pecan halves on top in whatever decorative fashion you like. Cover the edges of the crust with tinfoil so that the crust doesn't burn. Bake about 50-55 minutes or until set.

Remove from oven and let cool so that you don't burn your mouth trying to eat it too soon!

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3 comments:

Shayla said...

Wow, that looks good! I'm going to have to try that crust at the very least!

My next door neighbor is an old-school Cajun who spoke French and Latin before he learned English. He loves all things French, and gave me a copy of The Joy of Cooking boxed set for Christmas this year. We invite him over for dinner once a week, so I hope to make use of those books soon.

For my turtle pecan pie:
2 Store-bought large graham cracker crusts (I bet yours would be even better)

Fill crusts with pecan halves and set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, stir 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 c heavy whipping cream, 1/2 c unsalted butter, and 2 Tbsp light corn syrup together over medium-high heat. Whisk gently until it comes to a boil, then let it boil for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, and add a pinch or two of sea salt and a teaspoon of vanilla. Pour the syrup over the pecans in the shells, and set them in the fridge while you make the chocolate.

(((World's most basic fudge recipe:
Melt 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a saucepan with 1 can of sweetened condensed milk over low heat, stirring gently until completely blended. Remove from heat and add a little splash of vanilla or just about any flavor you like- orange works well, and so does peppermint. I've even made it with a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper, and guys loved it. It's not the best fudge, but it is the easiest!)))

Make basic fudge- melt and stir chocolate chips and condensed milk together in a pan until smooth. Pour half into a small dish to use as fudge. Return the pan to low heat, and add 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Stir until smooth. Pour the thinned fudge over your pies.

Nice meeting you in game, Jolee! I look forward to reading more of your blog! May the Force be with you! :-D

Anonymous said...

hi confessionsofageekymom.blogspot.com-ers all the best to you all - matty mays

Unknown said...

OMG I have to try your turtle pecan pie recipe!

There's nothing wrong with store-bought.

I found the best pie crust just shy of homemade is actually the Pillsbury crust that you find in the refrigerator section. The freezer crusts are kind of yucky, but the refrigerator crusts are quite good when you don't have time for homemade.