Owner of Roni Sue Chocolates (formally located in Essex Street Market), Rhonda says a savvy for making scrumptious sweets runs in her blood. Her daughter Allison Kave always makes the Thanksgiving pies and built her own business around them. This is her first award winning recipe.
Serves 8 | Cook Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
Crust
¾ Cup of Unbleached All-purpose Flour
¼ Cup of Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon of Sugar
6 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter, Diced and Chilled
2 Tablespoons of Lard, Chilled
½ Teaspoon of White Vinegar
¼ Cup of Very Cold Water
Filling
1 Cup of Light Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter, Melted
½ Cup of Maple Syrup
3 Large Eggs, Beaten
2 Cups of Pecans, Lightly Toasted
2 - 3 Tablespoons of Good Bourbon
A Pinch of Salt:
1 Teaspoon of Ground Dried Ginger
About 2 Teaspoons of Fresh Ginger, Peeled and Finely Grated
¼ Cup of Crystallized Ginger, Finely Chopped
Instructions
1. Make the crust. I use a food processor for this, and it turns out wonderfully, but you can cut the fat into the flour by hand if you don’t have one. A pastry cutter or a couple of knives will do the trick.
2. In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the flours, salt, and sugar just to combine. Add the butter and lard, and pulse a few times to cut the fat into the flour. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs. Combine the vinegar (if using) with the cold water. With the processor running, pour the liquid down the feed tube all at once. As soon as the dough begins to form a ball around the blade, stop the machine. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and dump the dough onto it, scraping the bowl and blade with a spatula. Pat the dough into a ball, wrap lightly, and chill for at least an hour before using. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
3. After the dough has rested, lightly dust a clean work surface with flour, and roll out to a circle approximately 10 inches in diameter, and about ⅛ inch thick. Line a buttered pie plate with the dough, and trim the overhang to about ½ inch. Do not prick with a fork. Tuck the overhang under the edge between the pie plate and the crust, and make a nice decoration around the edge by pinching the dough between your thumb and forefinger. Return to the fridge to chill for another 20 - 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425℉. Line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or dried rice, to help the crust hold its shape while baking. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the weights and foil, and return to the oven for 10 more minutes, until the crust begins to brown lightly. Remove from the oven and cool before filling. If the crust has bubbled up at all on the bottom don’t worry, just lightly press down any bubbles.
5. Turn the oven down to 350℉. While the crust cools, make the filling. In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugar and the melted butter. Add the maple syrup, eggs, pecans (toast these lightly first for best flavor), bourbon, salt, and gingers, and stir until all ingredients are combined. Pour mixture into cooled pie crust, brush edges of crust with an egg wash or cream, and bake for approx 25-35 minutes, or until the pie is set. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. The pie can be frozen after it has cooled. To do so, wrap it well in plastic and then foil, and leave it out at room temperature for a few hours to defrost
