I love going to my mom’s for Thanksgiving. Before I went, I asked if there was anything I could bring, but she had things well covered. In fact, I partook of delicious leftovers all day long. I also shamelessly became the relative who shows up with plastic food containers. In my defense, I want to be able to tell exactly what’s in the fridge. Otherwise good food goes bad, which is upsetting enough. But if I let mom’s Thanksgiving food go bad, that’s something else entirely. That’s the sort of thing to make you kick yourself for weeks on end.
I didn’t want to show up empty-handed though, so I decided to take a pie. I knew she had a pumpkin pie, so I decided to go with pecan. But I strayed from the traditional pumpkin pie and did more of a riff off of a peanut butter pie. So, where there would have been peanut butter in the pie, I used a homemade pecan butter. The pecan butter was easier to make than I had imagined, and it also gives me confidence that my William McKinley idea for Head of State Cakes is going to work out the way I intend. To make the pecan butter, I toasted pecans in a skillet and then processed them in a food processor. The pie also had a touch of cinnamon and a shot of bourbon.
I liked this pie. So did the other folks who tasted it at Thanksgiving. However, I’m even more excited by the other ideas it has unleashed. I would love to do a macadamia nut version, maybe topped with pineapple.
Pecan Cream Pie
2013-11-29 17:59:51
8 ounces pecan halves
pinch salt
2 cups vanilla wafer style cookies
1 tablespoon sugar.
6 tablespoon butter, melted
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup pecan butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 shot bourbon
Toast pecan halves in a large skillet, stirring regularly. Remove from heat once pecans become fragrant.
Place the pecans in the bowl of a food processor. Process on high speed until pecans form a smooth butter. You will need to pause the food processor and scrape down the pecans from the edge of the bowl a few times.
While the pecans are becoming a butter, add salt.
Set aside once the butter has reached a smooth, consistent texture.
Turn the cookies into crumbs by processing them in a food processor, or by placing them in a zip top bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.
Add sugar to the cookie crumbs.
Mix melted butter thoroughly with the cookie crumb mixture.
Place the mixture into a pie plate and press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish.
Place in freezer while preparing filling.
In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, 3/4 cups powdered sugar, cinnamon, and the pecan butter until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until thick and light. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Add the bourbon and whip until the bourbon is thoroughly mixed in.
Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pecan butter mixture. Pour the batter into the pie shell, and freeze for 4 hours.
Adapted from Down Home With the Neeleys
Sherlonya https://sherlonya.net/blog/
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