Pecan Praline Cream Pie
- As the title of the recipe suggests, this pie is very, very sweet. A cup of strong black coffee or a couple of shots of espresso will temper the sweetness and complement the flavors of the pie quite nicely. Begin preparing this dessert two days before you plan to serve it.
1 prepared graham cracker pie crust
2 eggs
⅔ cup light corn syrup
⅔ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Cinnamon
⅓ cup hot fudge sauce or caramel sauce
Equipment: 1½ quart oven-proof casserole dish
Baking pan for water bath
Natural gas oven
Serves 8 to 10
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease the casserole dish with a little softened butter.
Beat the eggs lightly with a whisk and then whisk in the corn syrup, sugar, butter, and vanilla until well blended. You can use an electric mixer, but be careful not to overbeat the mixture. Fold in the chopped pecans.
Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole, set the dish into a baking pan (we used a square cake pan), and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the casserole dish. Bake for about an hour and a half or until the top is nicely browned and the filling is firmly set. The knife test won’t work on this dish because it will be a little gooey when it’s done.
Place the casserole dish on a wire rack and let cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
Next day, chill a mixing bowl and the whisk attachment from your electric mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes. In the meantime, take the pie filling out of the refrigerator and break up the crust well with a fork. Set aside.
Pour the cold whipping cream into the chilled mixing bowl and beat until stiff, adding the powdered sugar while beating. Add the pecan filling to the whipped cream and fold gently until well combined.
Scrape the pecan-cream mixture into the pie crust quickly, smooth the top, and sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Put the pie in a pie saver that has a lid and place in the freeze overnight.
To serve, heat your favorite commercial fudge or caramel sauce (or your own homemade!), adding a little unsalted butter if the sauce looks too thick. Place the pie on a serving platter, pour the fudge sauce over the top, and use a butter knife to make a nice pattern. Slice the pie while frozen and serve immediately as it will thaw quickly.