English Toffee Pecan Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie.
This mouthwatering recipe from audience member Marjorie Johnson took home the blue ribbon at our first pie contest.
FOR THE CRUST
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold leaf lard, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
FOR THE FILLING
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup toffee bits
1 cup chopped pecans
22 pecan halves, for garnish
Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in lard and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about the size of peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork after each addition, until mixture is moistened. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and shape into a flattened disk. Wrap in plastic; transfer to refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Lightly flour a pastry cloth and roll out dough on cloth, using a covered rolling pin, to a 12-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold under and crimp edges.
Make the filling: Preheat oven with a rack set in the lower third to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, salt, vanilla, almond extract, toffee bits, and chopped pecans.
Pour filling into pie crust. Top with pecans by evenly spacing 14 of them around the outer edge of pie filling. Make a second row by evenly spacing seven pecans in a smaller circle in the center; place 1 pecan in center.
Transfer pie to oven; bake for 20 minutes. Cover with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil and continue baking until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Banana Cream Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie.
Serve this classic banana cream pie from Marjorie Johnson, winner of our first pie contest, for a family-friendly dessert.
FOR THE CRUST
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pastry cloth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold leaf lard, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
FOR THE FILLING
1 (3-ounce) package vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups whipped cream
1/3 cup toasted coconut, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts, plus more for garnish
3 small or 2 large bananas, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in lard and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about the size of peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork after each addition, until mixture is moistened. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and shape into a flattened disk. Wrap in plastic; transfer to refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 435 degrees.
Lightly flour a pastry cloth and roll out dough on cloth, using a covered rolling pin, to a 12-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold under and crimp edges.
Prick all over bottom and sides with the tines of a fork. Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown, about 16 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together pudding mix and milk. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Transfer to refrigerator and let chill.
Fold 1/4 cup whipped cream, coconut, walnuts, and bananas into pudding. Pour filling into cooled pie crust, spreading evenly with a spatula. Transfer remaining 1 cup whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip (such as Ateco #825). Decoratively pipe whipped cream around edge of pie; sprinkle with coconut and walnuts. Keep pie refrigerated until ready to serve; pie is best served the day it is made.
Makes one 9-inch pie.
This mouthwatering recipe from audience member Marjorie Johnson took home the blue ribbon at our first pie contest.
FOR THE CRUST
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold leaf lard, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
FOR THE FILLING
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup toffee bits
1 cup chopped pecans
22 pecan halves, for garnish
Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in lard and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about the size of peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork after each addition, until mixture is moistened. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and shape into a flattened disk. Wrap in plastic; transfer to refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Lightly flour a pastry cloth and roll out dough on cloth, using a covered rolling pin, to a 12-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold under and crimp edges.
Make the filling: Preheat oven with a rack set in the lower third to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, salt, vanilla, almond extract, toffee bits, and chopped pecans.
Pour filling into pie crust. Top with pecans by evenly spacing 14 of them around the outer edge of pie filling. Make a second row by evenly spacing seven pecans in a smaller circle in the center; place 1 pecan in center.
Transfer pie to oven; bake for 20 minutes. Cover with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil and continue baking until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Banana Cream Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie.
Serve this classic banana cream pie from Marjorie Johnson, winner of our first pie contest, for a family-friendly dessert.
FOR THE CRUST
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pastry cloth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold leaf lard, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
FOR THE FILLING
1 (3-ounce) package vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups whipped cream
1/3 cup toasted coconut, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts, plus more for garnish
3 small or 2 large bananas, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in lard and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about the size of peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork after each addition, until mixture is moistened. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and shape into a flattened disk. Wrap in plastic; transfer to refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 435 degrees.
Lightly flour a pastry cloth and roll out dough on cloth, using a covered rolling pin, to a 12-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold under and crimp edges.
Prick all over bottom and sides with the tines of a fork. Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown, about 16 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together pudding mix and milk. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Transfer to refrigerator and let chill.
Fold 1/4 cup whipped cream, coconut, walnuts, and bananas into pudding. Pour filling into cooled pie crust, spreading evenly with a spatula. Transfer remaining 1 cup whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip (such as Ateco #825). Decoratively pipe whipped cream around edge of pie; sprinkle with coconut and walnuts. Keep pie refrigerated until ready to serve; pie is best served the day it is made.