Bon Appetit Desserts (68 page)

Whisk eggs in large bowl until frothy. Add sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, salt, and ground toasted pecans; whisk until blended. Mix in chopped pecans. Pour filling into crust.

Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is puffed and set (center may still move slightly when dish is shaken), about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool at least 3 hours.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

Chocolate-Almond Pie

The rich, gooey filling of this sweet treat is reminiscent of a pecan pie. For an intense chocolate flavor, choose bittersweet chocolate; for a milder taste, go for semisweet.
8 servings

4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1¼ cups dark corn syrup

¾ cup sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon almond extract

Pinch of salt

3 cups sliced almonds, toasted

1 Cinnamon Pastry Crust (see recipe), chilled

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Stir chocolate and butter in large metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Mix in corn syrup and sugar. Whisk in eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Stir in toasted almonds.

Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake pie until filling is set around edges but moves slightly in center when pie is gently shaken and crust is golden brown, tenting with foil if crust browns too quickly, about 1 hour. Transfer pie to rack and cool slightly.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cinnamon Pastry Crust

Toasted nuts and a bit of cinnamon make this the perfect crust for fall pies.
Makes one 9-inch crust

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

⅓ cup walnuts or slivered almonds, toasted

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 tablespoons chilled non-hydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Blend flour, nuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in processor until nuts are coarsely ground. Add butter and shortening; using on/off turns, process until coarse meal forms. Add 2 tablespoons ice water; using on/off turns, blend until small moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until cold, at least 30 minutes.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Roll out dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Press dough into dish. Fold dough overhang under and crimp edges decoratively. Cover and chill until cold, about 30 minutes.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

California Walnut Pie with Orange and Cinnamon

This pie is aptly named, as virtually all walnuts in the United States (and two-thirds of those in the world) come from California. The texture is similar to that of a pecan pie, but this dessert is perfumed with another famous California crop, the orange.
8 servings

1 Flaky Pie Crust dough disk (see recipe on page 233)

3 large eggs

1 cup light corn syrup

½ cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Roll out dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold crust edge under; crimp decoratively. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

Whisk eggs in medium bowl until well blended. Add corn syrup, sugar, melted butter, orange peel, cinnamon, and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Stir in walnuts. Pour walnut filling into chilled crust.

Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue baking pie until puffed and set in center when dish is gently shaken, about 40 minutes longer. Cool pie completely on rack.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.

Maple-Hazelnut Pie

Hazelnuts and maple combine in a northern version of the southern favorite. Use dark Grade B maple syrup for the most intense maple flavor.
8 servings

1 Flaky Pie Crust dough disk (see recipe on page 233)

¾ cup pure maple syrup (preferably Grade B)

½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons bourbon

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large egg white, lightly beaten to loosen

1 cup hazelnuts, husked, coarsely chopped

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Roll out dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold crust edge under; crimp decoratively. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until sides are set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Continue to bake until set, pressing gently with back of spoon if crust bubbles, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer crust to rack and cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Meanwhile, bring maple syrup, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling 1 minute, reducing heat as needed to prevent mixture from boiling over. Remove pan from heat. Add bourbon, then butter; whisk until butter melts. Let mixture cool to lukewarm, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Brush crust with egg white to coat. Scatter hazelnuts over. Whisk eggs and vanilla in medium bowl until blended. Whisk cooled maple mixture into egg mixture. Pour filling over hazelnuts in crust.

Bake pie until filling is set and slightly puffed, covering crust edges with foil collar if browning too quickly, about 50 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.

North Carolina Peanut Pie

Sorghum syrup is derived from a cereal-grass crop that grows in the South. Golden syrup comes from sugar cane, but unlike molasses, it is light in color and flavor. Salted North Carolina peanuts (sold as Golden Gourmet Peanuts) and sorghum syrup are available online at
southernthings.com
. Golden syrup can be found in some supermarkets or at specialty foods stores where maple syrup and other syrups are sold.
8 servings

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 tablespoons (or more) ice water

⅓ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 large eggs

½ cup golden syrup (such as Lyle’s Golden Syrup)

½ cup sorghum syrup, or ½ cup golden syrup (such as Lyle’s Golden Syrup) mixed with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cups coarsely chopped salted North Carolina peanuts or coarsely chopped salted cocktail peanuts

Vanilla ice cream

CRUST:
Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons ice water; using on/off turns, blend just until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold dough edges under and crimp decoratively. Freeze crust 15 minutes.