SALTED PECAN SLAB PIE
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SALTED PECAN SLAB PIE
Amy Hunter
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I know that it is pumpkin pie season. Yes, I know. And I love pumpkin pie, but if I had to choose between pumpkin and the other pie of the season — pecan — well, I’m not sure if it’s because pecan pie has way more sugar and calories (because more sugar and calories = better) but I’d choose pecan.
Now, the pecan pie recipe I’m sharing today is a bit different from what you may be used to. First, it’s a slab pie instead of a round one. If you’re not familiar, a slab pie is one that is baked in a big rectangular baking dish or sheet and cut into slabs instead of triangles. For events where there are a lot of people, this means everyone gets their share. You know what I’m talking about — someone shows up with an 8-slice pie for Thanksgiving where there are at least twice that number of people. Someone’s not getting a piece. This solves that.
The next way this pie is different is the crust. Piecrust is one of those things that can be finicky if you’re not baking pies everyday. Even though it’s essentially just three ingredients, rolling it out can be a pain. Yes, I know that you can buy pre-made crusts, but they really aren’t the same. For this recipe, I used a simple combination of melted butter, sugar, and flour, and then pressed it into the pan. Easy.
Next up is that most pecan pies use corn syrup. Not that that’s necessarily terrible — I’m not trying to make this a super healthy pie or anything, trust me — but corn syrup just doesn’t have the holiday flavor I’m looking for. So instead, I used a combination of real maple syrup (please don’t use pancake syrup!!) and dark brown sugar. That way, there’s a hint of maple, and a deep molasses flavor going on in addition to the buttery piecrust and nutty pecans.
Finally, you may be able to guess where I’m going with this one — I sprinkled coarse Colima sea salt over top before baking. Nothing cuts the sugary sweetness that is pecan pie like good quality sea salt. It takes it from teeth-breaking sweet to a mouthwatering, perfectly flavored dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-
1/2 teaspoon Colima Sea Salt
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3 cups pecan halves
-
Colima Sea Salt
Crust
Filling
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 jellyroll pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust by melting the butter in a medium saucepan. Turn off heat. Put the sugar, vanilla, and flour in a large mixing bowl and pour the butter on top. Stir and add in the flour. Mix until evenly combined. Press the dough into your jellyroll pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, make the filling. Put the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and cream in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking until it comes to a boil. Boil for about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and transfer about 1/2 cup of the mixture to a measuring cup.
- Crack the eggs in a large bowl and whisk well. Very slowly (seriously – go slow here!) drizzle the mixture from the measuring cup into the eggs, while continuously whisking. Do not stop whisking until the mixture is incorporated into the eggs. Slowly add the remaining filling to the egg mixture, and stir in the pecans.
- Pour this mixture over the baked crust. Sprinkle with Colima sea salt and put back in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes and test by inserting a toothpick in the center. It will be sticky, but should come out pretty clean.
- Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing into slabs and serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Recipe Note
Download this recipe in easy to print PDF format: salted-pecan-slab-pie