This guest post and recipe is shared by Texas home cook Katlynn of c2h6oblog.wordpress.com exclusively for Social Vignerons.
Wine & booze pairing suggestions down the bottom are kindly supplied by Julien Miquel.
The Chef’s Comments
“This is an old fashion type pecan pie… but it’s more old-fashioned in the sense that it’s a pecan pie if my grandmother’s recipe for pecan pie joined me at a bar for an Old Fashioned.
I’m not normally a regular Maker’s Bourbon drinker, but the orange makes it healthy and it keeps me warm for the winter.
The crust has a dash of orange extract add it to it and the filling has bourbon and bitters. I’m normally not judgmental about store-bought crusts, if that’s your thing, but this is one of those cases where using a store-bought crust just won’t hack it.
If you haven’t made crust before, don’t over work it, and don’t over hydrate it. Cover tightly, and refrigerate over night, if possible. Also, the vinegar seems weird, but Grandma marked this ingredient ‘Don’t argue, just do’ and well, sometimes old fashion is best.
You can use this recipe for both mini pecan pies or full-sized pies. Either are delicious, but you’ll note that the pictures here are mini pies. I rolled the dough out most of the way, used a glass to make circles, then finished rolling them out and placed then muffin tin to bake. If you’re doing it that way, break up the pecans a bit.
Recipe & Ingredients:
Crust (Makes 2 pies or ~24 minis)
- 1 Cup Butter (Salted)
- 2 1/2 Cups Flour
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Orange Extract OR Orange Flavored Vodka
- 2 Tbsp Vinegar mixed with 1/3 cup Ice Water
- Use a pastry cutter (if you skipped the gym) or a food processor (if it was arm day) to blend all dry ingredients and the butter.
- Add Orange Flavor of choice
- Slowly mix cold water/vinegar in with a fork until just damp enough to stick together
- Work minimally with hands to form two balls
- Wrap each ball in Saran, refrigerate
Filling
- 1 cup(ish) pecans
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 3 large eggs, 4 medium
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup salted butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp bourbon (I used Makers 46, because it is sweeter and middling in alcohol content)
- Whisk all ingredients but pecans
- Place crust in greased pans/muffin tins
- Add a sprinkle of pecans to each
- Fill with liquid filling mixture, until 1/8 inch pie is exposed
- Sprinkle top with pecans
- Bake at 350 for 20 minutes for minis, 40 for pies
Wine & Booze Pairing by Julien Miquel
This mouth-watering dessert shared by Kate promises to deliver plenty of richness and flavours. The addition of orange and more importantly Bourbon enhances the natural buttery and nutty aromas of the pie. All beverages won’t work, either being overpowered by the pies, and not complementing the flavors well enough.
I’ve selected ideal pairing drinks to satisfy all palates and taste around Thanksgiving family table:
Sweet Dessert Wines:
The followings will reflect the flavors in the pies, with exuberant dried-fruit, spices, and nutty aromas:
- Sauternes: a Botrytis wine from the Bordeaux region
- Hungarian Tokaji: a rich and fruity sweet wine from Hungary
- Rutherglen Muscat: very dense and sweet Muscat-based wines from a hot region in Australia delivering loads of tropical fruit characters and caramel notes
- Old Rivesaltes: a fortified wine from the south of France. Being old, it delivers plenty of nutty characters that will marry the pecan flavors beautifully
Spirits:
To accompany the buttery and nutty flavors, think oak-aged spirits, the older the better:
- Bourbon: being a key ingredient in the pies, it will be the ideal partner
- Old Rum: for more fruity tone to the pairing than with Bourbon
- Amareto: this sweet Italian almond-flavoured liqueur will boost the nutty feel of your dessert. A great choice if some guests don’t quite feel like having spirits with dessert
Sparkling wines:
For a less sweet option, and take the opposite approach, dry and acidic sparkling wines will but through the richness, and wash some of the sticky sweetness off your palate:
- Champagne: preferably the French one, more delicate and acidic. No need to spend a fortune as the pie’s flavors won’t allow you to appreciate the subtleties of a complex Champagne. A simple Non-Vintage cuvee will work admirably here.
- Italian Prosecco bubbly: an extra-dry version of this famous sparkling wine style will offer some delicate fruit flavors with great acidity, and a slight bitterness on the finish for a savory touch to complement the dessert
- Sparkling Moscato: for a much fruitier approach to the pairing, and enhance the experience with stonefruit and floral notes. Try and find one that is not too sweet.
Find out more about our guest: Katllynn
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