Cajun Pecan Pie
CAJUN PECAN PIE WITH FLAKY GOAT CHEESE CRUST
Growing up in Louisiana, I did NOT love pecan pie. There’s actually a lot of holiday pies and dishes I didn’t like, and this one was the top of the hate list.
But now, we’re all older, and tastebuds change, and I do love this pie. We Cajuns like a flaky crust, and like it thick. But apple pie, I will always hate you, sorry.
I’ve never really went all out on a pie before, but this time I wanted to make my own pastry crust, and do it with cute Fall leaf cut outs. I added to a typical Cajun recipe, and used some of that lovely Heinen’s Silver goat cheese to give it a lovely pop of flavor.
Any pie always looks way better to me before it bakes. So I wanted to capture the pastry crust with an egg wash before I baked it golden.
Be whimsical about your pie crust. I’m no perfect crust shape baker, so I cover imperfections with some free-styled leaf lattice work.
I wasn’t kidding, we like a thick crust.
I like my pecans whole, but who’s to say you can’t chop them? Go for it .
CAJUN PECAN PIE RECIPE
Ingredients + Instructions
Flaky Dough Pie Crust
3 cups AP flour
2.5 oz goat cheese
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightened beaten
1/2 cup oat milk or regular milk
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Hand mix the goat cheese into the shortening until well blended. Fold into the flour mixture. Add the egg and milk in and stir to mix fully. You’ll need to use your hands to continuously press down on the dough. Since it’s a flaky crust, it is quite crumbly, but the moisture when pushed down will get it more compact. Ball the dough and refrigerate for an hour, covered in plastic wrap. Roll out the dough to about a quarter of an inch thick with added flour to prevent sticking. You should have enough for 2 pies, but I usually make 1 cut out for a 9” pie pan, and use pastry cut outs for decorating lattice pastry over the pies. Butter and spray the pie pan, and use the pan to flip upside down onto flattened crust. It’s not a forgiving texture, so you will need to slowly lift the pie pan with the dough so that you can push it down into the pan once it’s right side up. Push down the dough over the lip of the pie pan so it’s nice and snug, with no over hang.
Ingredients + Instructions
Pie Filling
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup dark corn syrup, I use Karo
3 eggs
1/2 evaporated milk
2 cups whole pecans
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon vanilla paste
2 tablespoons melted butter
Set oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour and salt. Stir in corn syrup and melted butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the milk, pecans, and vanilla paste. Let set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Pour into pastry crust pie pan, and add the lattice leaves or any other style you made to the rim of the pie dough crust. Add brush of egg wash over the pie crust and lattice work. Bake the pie for 50 minutes. Remove after 50 minutes, use a tooth pick or knife to cut some slits into the pie, so that it can cook more efficiently for the remaining 25 minutes. If the crust is getting too golden or too brown too quickly, cover the rim with foil strips and it works like a charm. After cutting slits and using foil (optional but recommended for rim), put back in oven for 25 minutes.
Note: I like my pecan pie goopy. This isn’t to say this isn’t cooked! Pecan pies are like lava for 2 hours after baked, so they need to cool for 3-4 hours before serving. Let that goodness set under the outer shell of pecans. Also optional to serve with ice cream!
