Louisiana Browned Butter–Pecan Pie from Pie Academy
This delicious recipe from Pie Academy shows how to use browned butter in pecan pie to add a second layer of toasted flavor.
If you’ve ever eaten a piece of genuine Louisiana pecan pie and wondered what that elusive nutty taste is, it might not be the pecans; it could be browned butter. Cooks typically learn to not brown the butter or they’ll compromise its pure flavor. But there are times when browning butter gives it a toasted quality that’s just right for our purposes — like here, where it layers on some genuine Southern charm.
Louisiana Browned Butter–Pecan Pie Recipe photo © J. Autry, Emulsion Studio
Louisiana Browned Butter–Pecan Pie
Makes 8–10 servings
Here’s What You Need:
- Single-Crust Food Processor
- Pie Dough (recipe available in the book on pg. 58)
Filling
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped by hand (recipe available in the book on pg. 453)
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
Here’s What You Do:
- Prepare and refrigerate the pie dough. Roll the dough into a12 1/2- to 13-inch circle and line a 9- to 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan with it, shaping the edge into an upstanding ridge. Flute or crimp the edge, chill the shell, and partially prebake it according to the instructions on page 6.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F(200°C). Using a shiny skillet so you can easily see what’s happening in the pan, melt the butter over medium to medium-high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon, keeping a close eye on the butter as you wait for it to brown. Once that starts to happen, it will happen quickly. The trick is to catch the butter while it is dark golden brown and before the little solids get too dark and burn. As soon as the butter reaches the golden brown point, in 2 to 4 minutes, pour it into a bowl and cool slightly.
- Combine the eggs, sugar, corn syrup, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk well to blend. Add the browned butter and whisk again until evenly combined. Stir in the pecans. Put the pie shell on a baking sheet, near the oven, and carefully pour the filling into the shell. Gently rake a fork through the filling to distribute the nuts evenly.
- Bake the pie, on the sheet, on the center oven rack for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C)and bake for about 30 minutes longer, until the filling is set, rotating the pie 180 degrees midway through the baking. When done, the pie will have puffed slightly and developed fine cracks around the perimeter. There should be no soupiness at the center of the filling.
- Transfer the pie to a rack and cool thoroughly. Serve at room temperature or chill slightly before serving, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.
Recipe for Success
A shiny skillet is the best background for monitoring the butter as it darkens. It’s much more difficult to gauge the progress if you’re using a black cast-iron pan or a nonstick pan. Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream are the best accompaniments here because they won’t hide the browned butter flavor
Excerpted from Pie Academy © Ken Haedrich
Learn how to make the perfect, delectable pie—from the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook.
“An excellent resource for home bakers looking to up their pie game.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Trusted cookbook author and pie expert Ken Haedrich delivers the only pie cookbook you’ll ever need: Pie Academy. Novice and experienced bakers will discover the secrets to baking a pie from scratch, with recipes, crust savvy, tips and tutorials, advice about tools and ingredients, and more.
Foolproof step-by-step photos give you the confidence you need to choose and prepare the best crust for different types of fillings. Learn how to make pie dough using butter, lard, or both; how to work with all-purpose, whole-wheat, or gluten-free flour; how to roll out dough; which pie pan to use; and how to add flawless finishing details like fluting and lattice tops.
Next are 255 recipes for every kind and style of pie, from classic apple pie and pumpkin pie to summer berry, fruit, nut, custard, chiffon, and cream pies, freezer pies, slab pies, hand pies, turnovers, and much more. This beast of a collection, with gorgeous color photos throughout, weighs in at nearly four pounds and serves up forty years of pie wisdom in a single, satisfying package.
