Rum Pecan Pie
Cook Time
How This Pie Came to Be
I love baking, but I had never made a pie. My mother was never one to make pies; she was more of a cookie and cake type. When I reached adulthood, my mother-in-law was usually eager to make the pie(s) appropriate for the occasion, so I never had the opportunity to do the "usual suspects" at Thanksgiving - apple pie, pumpkin pie, etc.
Finally I came to a point - I MUST bake a pie! What could I make, knowing that an apple crisp and a pumpkin pie were already coming? My husband came to the rescue and suggested pecan pie, since it's the only type of pie he will eat, anyway.
So I started looking at pecan pie recipes... and quickly became underwhelmed. They all seemed so boring, and the reviews were either "too sweet" or "too liquidy" or "too dry." It quickly became clear that I wouldn't find the perfect pecan pie recipe. I had to make my own. So, I got to work and this was the result. I hope you like it!
Ingredients
- 1 deep dish frozen pie shell (uncooked)
- 3 eggs
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 cup pecan halves, unchopped
- 1/4 cup water
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (325 if using convection).
- Chop the pecans (1/2 cup coarsely chopped, 1/2 cup finely chopped), keeping the finely chopped and coarsely chopped separate.
- With a fork or whisk, beat together all ingredients besides the pecans until velvety and uniform in texture. Then, add in the coarsely chopped pecans and mix until distributed evenly.
- Take out the frozen pie shell and line the bottom with the finely chopped pecans.
- Pour the wet pie filling into the pecan-lined pie shell.
- Arrange the remaining 1 cup pecans on the top of the filling into a pattern (or sprinkle on if not concerned with aesthetics).
- Place into oven and cook for 40-50 minutes. Pie will rise and will have a gelatinous texture in the middle.
- Remove from oven and cool. Pie must be completely cooled before slicing or it will be too gooey and soft.
Serving Recommendations:
- After cooling to room temperature, refrigerate overnight to ensure the pie fully sets.
- For an extra-special taste, microwave an individual slice for 15 seconds after it has cooled.
- Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
