Down Home Blackstrap Molasses Pecan Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, 2 tablespoons butter, the shortening, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor until it looks like fine meal. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and pulse until it is in pea-size pieces. Drizzle in the vinegar and 2 tablespoons cold water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap; use the plastic to help form the dough into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight. (The dough can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature.)
• Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate, fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edge with your fingers. Chill at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 425 degrees F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast until darkened, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and return the empty baking sheet to the lower oven rack. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until brown flecks appear, about 8 minutes; let cool slightly. Whisk the browned butter, eggs, brown sugar, molasses, bourbon and salt in a bowl. Scatter the toasted pecans in the prepared crust; pour in the brown sugar mixture.
• Put the pie directly on the hot baking sheet in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set, 45 to 55 minutes. (Cover the edge with foil if it is browning too quickly.) Transfer to a rack and let cool at least 1 hour before serving.

Steps:

• Pulse pecans, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add 4 1/2 cups flour and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse until pea-size pieces remain. With motor running, stream in 3/4 cup ice water; pulse until dough begins to form large clumps.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface. Knead briefly to combine, then pat into a flat rectangle. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.
• Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on 2 long sides.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured, long piece of parchment (at least 20") and roll out to a larger rectangle. Top with another floured piece of parchment; roll to a 19x15" rectangle about 1/4" thick (if dough becomes too warm, chill 5 minutes). Remove top layer of parchment. Gently transfer parchment-lined dough to baking sheet so short sides of parchment hang over short sides of baking sheet. Press dough up sides of baking sheet until dough is just hanging over rim, then trim so edges are flush. Crimp with a fork, if desired, then prick bottom of dough with fork. Freeze dough 20 minutes.
• Bake crust until edges are lightly browned and beginning to set, 15-20 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until solids begin to brown and butter smells nutty, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in granulated sugar. Add corn syrup, molasses, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and stir to combine. Add eggs and whisk until smooth.
• Pull out center rack of oven; place crust on rack. Pour filling into crust and carefully return rack to oven. Bake pie 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and continue to bake until filling is set but wobbles slightly when baking sheet is tapped, 20-25 minutes more. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool.
• Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Whisk egg white in a large bowl until frothy. Add brown sugar and salt and whisk to combine. Add pecans and mix with a spoon until evenly coated.
• Spread pecan mixture on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing once halfway through, until toasted and crisp, about 8 minutes. Toss pecans, then transfer to a large bowl. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and toss to coat. Let cool, tossing occasionally to ensure pecans don't stick together, then coarsely chop.
• Place chocolate in a small bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate. Tap bowl to submerge chocolate in cream; let stand 1 minute.
• Using a small whisk, stir chocolate mixture in the center until shiny and smooth. Pour ganache over pie and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Sprinkle candied pecans over pie while chocolate is warm. Let pie cool at room temperature at least 2 hours or chill 1 hour.
• Using parchment, transfer tart to a large cutting board or serving platter. Cut into squares to serve.
• Pie can be made 1 day ahead; loosely cover and chill.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Combine the molasses, sugar, eggs, bourbon, butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and stir to mix. Place the pecans in the bottom of the pie shell and spread evenly. Pour the molasses mixture over the pecans.
• Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until firm around the edges and slightly loose in the center.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for several hours before slicing.
• Everyday Piecrust
• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and stir to mix.
• Cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives in a crosscutting motion until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Work quickly so the butter remains cool and doesn't melt into the flour.
• Combine the 3 tablespoons ice water with the egg and vinegar in a separate bowl and stir to mix. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until the dough clumps together and is moist enough to pat together. Do not mix any more than necessary. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together; do not add so much water that the dough becomes wet or sticky.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, with lightly floured hands, form into a ball. Divide the dough in half and form each piece into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or for up to 3 days.
• Check the pie recipe for special rolling instructions. To prepare a basic pie shell, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for about 10 minutes. Place on a lightly floured work surface. Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Fold the dough in half or gently roll it onto the rolling pin and lift it over the pie pan. Press the dough lightly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the excess dough, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of dough draped over the pan. Roll the extra dough under itself to form a rim around the edge of the pan. Crimp the rim of dough with your fingers or press with the tines of a fork. Prick the bottom of the crust two or three times with a fork to create small holes.
• Cover the crust with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days, before proceeding with a recipe or partially or fully prebaking the crust (see Know-how, page 345).
• Jam Tarts
• Start with the trimmings or one full recipe of Cornmeal Crust (page 331), Sweet Tart Crust (page 344), or Everyday Piecrust (page 341). Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Press the dough into 2-inch tart shells and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Fill each shell with about 1 teaspoon of your favorite jam and arrange on a baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator to chill completely, about 1 hour.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the jam is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving warm or completely cooled.

Steps:

• Pastry: In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle water over mixture and stir with a fork until dough comes together. Press in a 1/2-inch-thick disk; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 12-inch round, 1/8-inch thick. Fold dough in half and fit into a 9-inch pie pan; press dough against bottom and sides of dish. Fold edge under and flute or crimp decoratively. Refrigerate pie shell. Filling: Combine molasses, brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cook until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes. Raise heat to high and boil 1 minutes. Remove from heat and cool mixture to room temperature. Stir in eggs until blended, then stir in remaining filling ingredients. Heat over to 350 degrees. Pour filling into pie shell. Bake 1 hour, or until filling is set. Coll completely on a wire rack. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Steps:

• To make pastry: In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt.
• Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Sprinkle water over mixture and stir with a fork until dough comes together.
• Press into a 1/2-inch-thick disk; wrap in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 12-inch round, 1/8-inch thick.
• Fold dough in half and fit into a 9-inch pie pan; press dough against bottom and sides of dish.
• Fold edge under and flute or crimp decoratively.
• Refrigerate pie shell.
• To make filling: Combine molasses, brown sugar, syrup, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cook until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes.
• Raise heat to high and boil 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and cool mixture to room temperature.
• Stir in eggs until blended, then stir in remaining filling ingredients.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Pour filling into pie shell.
• Bake 1 hour, or until filling is set.
• Cool completely on a wire rack.
• Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.