Healthy Texas Pecan Pie
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This Christmas, I’m going home to Texas. First to Dallas to visit my parents, and then we’re all going on a road trip, 3 kids in tow, down to Austin. We’ll be getting our fill of Texas comfort food from my childhood: migas and Texas BBQ, pecan prailines, chili, quesadillas, and chicken fried chicken with fried okra, mashed potatoes and cornbread.
Nothing says Texas like pecan pie. Okay, that’s not exactly true. There are many things that evoke the spirit of Texas: armadillos, longhorns, Willie Nelson, chili, pickup trucks and gun racks, two-stepping, and nachos (invented in Texas). But pecan pie has got to be one of the very best things in all of Texas.
The photo above (from Flickr) illustrates that. It’s a picture of a pecan pie box from a place in Houston called Goode Company BBQ. Texans may not be modest but we do know good pecan pie (that’s “PEE-can” in Texas).
Even Yankees love pecan pie. It happens to be my Jewish New Yorker husband’s favorite, and his step-father’s favorite. (Along with their lox and bagels.) I made this pie for them last Christmas, served with homemade vanilla ice cream. They gave it their hearty approval.
This makes a delicious dessert for the holidays. I’m including it in my Christmas Day menu (along with Roast Duck with a Reduction Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts Braised in Cream, and Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream) in my new menu mailer series, CHEESESLAVE Menus By Mail. (15% off through the holidays!)
Notes on This Recipe
I modified this pecan pie recipe from the pecan pie recipe in Rose Levy Beranbaum’s wonderful and indispensable cookbook, The Pie and Pastry Bible. To make the recipe healthier, I replaced the corn syrup and brown sugar with natural unrefined sweeteners: honey, rapadura (or sucanat) and molasses. I also use real butter and lard in my pie crust. No Crisco in this kitchen!
I used carmelized honey I found at a local beekeeper’s stall at the farmer’s market. Carmelized honey doesn’t have the enzymes that raw honey has but since you’re baking the pie, it does not matter. And carmelized honey has a richer, deeper flavor than raw honey. And like molasses, it is richer in minerals than regular honey.
I also used raw pecans which I soaked overnight in warm filtered water with a little sea salt. Soaking nuts makes them more digestible, makes the nutrients more absorbable, and reduces the enzyme inhibitors naturally found in nuts.
Soaking your nuts in warm water with neutralize these enzyme inhibitors, and also help encourage the production of beneficial enzymes. These enzymes, in turn, increase many vitamins, especially B vitamins. It also makes these nuts much more easier to digest and the nutrients will be more easily absorbed. Source: The Nourishing Gourmet
Healthy Texas Pecan Pie
Ingredients:
Pie Crust:
Click here for my recipe for perfect pie crust.
Pecan Pie Filling:
4 large egg yolks (ideally from pastured chickens, or at least free-range organic)
1/2 cup carmelized honey (or regular honey)
1/2 cup rapadura (or sucanat)
1/4 cup cream (doesn’t have to be raw but ideally from grass-fed cows)
1 TBS molasses
2 TBS melted butter (grass-fed; I use Kerry Gold)
1 pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract (see my recipe for homemade vanilla extract)
1 1/2 cups raw pecans soaked overnight in warm filtered water and sea salt and dried in a dehydrator or in oven at low heat (see Sally Fallon’s cookbook, “Nourishing Traditions” or see this post on The Nourishing Gourmet for further instruction on soaking nuts)
Instructions:
Soak and dry the nuts ahead of time:
1. Soak the nuts overnight (7-10 hours) in a mason jar filled with warm filtered water and a little sea salt.
2. Drain and rinse the nuts.
3. Spread on a baking sheet and dry in oven on the lowest heat setting or in your dehydrator for 12-24 hours.
Make the crust:
1. Follow the directions to make the pie crust. Blind bake it for 10-15 minutes then let it cool.
Make the filling:
1. Arrange the soaked and dried pecans, top sides up, in concentric circles, into the pie crust.
2. Set a medium saucepan on the stove on low heat. Add the egg yolks, honey, rapadura, molasses, butter, cream and sea salt.
3. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon as you let mixture thicken (do not let it boil) for 7-10 minutes.
4. Add the vanilla and remove from heat.
5. Pour the mixture onto the pecans in the pie crust.
6. Cover lightly with a foil tent and bake for about 20 minutes
7. Let cool for at least 45 minutes before cutting.
8. Serve with homemade whipped cream (cream whipped with a little maple syrup or honey and a pinch of sea salt) or homemade vanilla ice cream.
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14/12/2009 at 4:00 pm Permalink
Oh my, pecan pie. Yum. As a Southern girl I have an innate love for pecan pie, but I have yet to meet a person (Yankee or otherwise) who detests it – though I’m sure they exist out there somewhere.
Love the recipe, very well adapted. Pecans are great nuts to soak because they tend to be affordable, and easier to find un-pasteurized (as opposed to almonds). I’ll have to tuck this one away. Maybe my family will enjoy a delectable pecan pie for Christmas. (And I’ll sneak away with the leftovers….if there are any!) Thanks for the recipe, Ann Marie!
Elizabeth from The Nourished Life´s last blog ..My Version of Homemade Raw Milk Kefir
14/12/2009 at 4:54 pm Permalink
This looks like a great recipe! My husband loves pecan pie. I think you’ve inspired me to surprise him with this pie for Christmas. thanks much!
14/12/2009 at 5:21 pm Permalink
Dallas?? Austin?? Why stop there – come to San Antonio!
This sounds really good. I’ve never made pecan pie in my life, but I think DH would be quite happy if I did.
15/12/2009 at 12:02 am Permalink
I’m a Yankee, and I love, Love, LOVE pecan pie!!! I have all the ingredients on hand (just have to soak the pecans), and I am SO making this for Christmas. Thank you for the recipe.
15/12/2009 at 12:50 am Permalink
I love pecan pie! (The more food blogs I read, the more foods I’m discovering I love.) Have a wonderful trip!
Unplanned Cooking´s last blog ..Pizza lollipops
15/12/2009 at 7:53 am Permalink
Oh wow…. this sounds incredible! I want some, but I’m not sure I’m brave enough to make it. My aunts corn syrup infused Thanksgiving pecan pie was the link that threw me completely off the wagon. I just hopped back on after gaining 10lbs. Ha-ha
15/12/2009 at 11:39 am Permalink
Maybe the reason I’ve never liked pecan pie (ducking thrown objects) – and yes, I’m in Texas! – is because I’ve never had homemade. Ann Marie, this sounds delicious! My native Texan dh and native Texan dc would love this – gosh, I think even *I* would enjoy it! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Beth
Beth´s last blog ..Advent
15/12/2009 at 5:45 pm Permalink
I was born in Austin, TX… but moved to CA when I was 2. Anyway, have fun and enjoy yourselves!!! I’ve never been a big pecan pie fan, but yours would probably win me over
) Can’t wait to meet you in person shortly after you get back!
Marillyn @ just-making-noise´s last blog ..Pseudo Hiatus… & More
15/12/2009 at 7:56 pm Permalink
That looks almost exactly like my recipe! =) My great grandmother made pecan pies and I often wondered what she used before corn syrup became so cheap and available. I’m 5th generation Texan and I wish I had a hold of her recipes still… I know there are some amazing gems in there including her sweet corn corn bread and fried chicken…. oh and don’t forget the fried okra!
Have fun here in Texas! We live just outside of Austin. While you are here you should check out Olivia’s which is supposed to be a great NT friendly restaurant. My husband did all their electrical installation when they were building the restaurant. There is also Terra Burger for a quick bite, they use a ton of organic produce and ground beef.
Dawn
15/12/2009 at 8:50 pm Permalink
I am so excited about this recipe! I love pecan pie but haven’t been able to have it in awhile because I’m gluten & corn intolerant. I found GF bread mix but didn’t know what to do about the corn syrup so I just gave up at Thanksgiving. Now I can make this for Christmas! Yay!
Julia @ Easy Eco To Go´s last blog ..Rebagz, Ridiculously Awesome!
17/12/2009 at 10:31 am Permalink
Agreed. They make the best pecan pie in Texas. I’ve never been brave enough to try and make one myself however. I will have to give this recipe a try, thanks!
17/12/2009 at 11:15 am Permalink
Coming to Austin you say? So cool! I’ve lived here for years, was born and raised in a Texas small town but Austin has always felt like “home”. In the colder months I work at a “Farm School (preschool)” in North Austin, where the kiddos help with farm chores, and spend time every day in the sunshine outside, no matter what the weather…their food they serve is all organic and homemade (as much as they can at least, I’d say 95%), and several times the owners have had questions about “real food” and I point them to articles referenced in your blog!! I’m a big fan, glad you’re going to be visiting the area! Oh, and if you have any suggestions for us, our school blog is here: http://www.dosflamingavocadoes.blogspot.com/
Official school site: http://www.goodearthschool.com/
Be amazing if you could drop by!
20/12/2009 at 12:14 am Permalink
Oh I can hardly wait to finish volunteering all of the holidays and then I am going to make this. On my first and only trip to Texas my friend ok friends brother loved the goo and the crust I loved the pecans and was crust glue free. We now know who got the gold medal nutrient dense end of that deal :-] Thank you for the adaptogenic recipes again.
21/12/2009 at 4:25 pm Permalink
I searched everywhere for a non-corn syrup pecan pie recipe for Thanksgiving last year. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pecan-Pie-V/Detail.aspx was my lifesaver. The pecan pies turn out fine with out the corn syrup…though my dad had a fit about there not being the dark Karo syrup in it. Thanks another option!
22/12/2009 at 12:44 pm Permalink
I am so excited to have this recipe. I have lived in TX since middle school and my husband is a native. Pecan pie is always on the table at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I have been on the look out for a recipe sans corn syrup as I’m transitioning to Real Food. Thanks for sharing this–we even have some local pecans to use!
03/01/2010 at 2:06 am Permalink
Maybe ‘cuz I’m a New Englander, I experimented and made pecan pie this Thanksgiving with maple syrup, and it was glorious. With a couple of eggs in there for body, it sets up nicely, and the flavor is off the map. Maybe I’ll try your idea of using half Sucanat and a little molasses next time, and see how that goes!
07/01/2010 at 10:30 pm Permalink
After searching online for 30 minutes I found only one non-CS based pecan pie recipe. I made it for my parent’s anniversary last week and my mom didn’t like the taste of the brown sugar-based recipe. I will give your version a try (and keep it for myself
) – thanks for this!
K @ Prudent and Practical´s last blog ..Donating Hair to a Good Cause
09/01/2010 at 2:20 am Permalink
K – you are welcome! Happy New Year!