Mile High Pecan Pie Recipes

MILE-HIGH PUMPKIN-PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Add 1/4 cup ice water in a steady stream, pulsing until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough just over 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan, adjusting dough as needed to fit flat against bottom and sides. Trim dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch overhang (reserve scraps); freeze 15 minutes. Line dough with a double layer of parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet 30 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and weights; use reserved scraps to patch any holes in crust. Bake until deep golden, 30 minutes; cover edge with foil if overbrowning.
• Meanwhile, make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk in eggs, then pumpkin, until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk, cream, and vanilla. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. With edge covered with foil, pour all but 1 cup filling into crust, return to oven, and carefully add remaining cup filling; bake 1 hour. Remove pie from oven and top with pecans. Bake until filling is just set but slightly wobbly in center, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 3 hours. With a serrated knife, cut off overhang and unmold.

MILE-HIGH PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly beat eggs and add all remaining ingredients except pecans, stirring to blend well.
• Add pecan pieces to the mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Pour into unbaked pie shell and cover piecrust rim with shield or foil and bake at 400° for 10 minutes .
• Reduce oven temperature to 350° for 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove shield to allow crust to brown about 5 minutes before removing from oven.
• Remove from oven, let cool on rack and serve as desired.

MILE-HIGH PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• For the pie dough: Pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, vinegar and salt in a food processor until it looks like fine meal. Add the butter and pulse until pea-size pieces remain. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough with your fingers; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 2 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition.
• Put the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or preferably overnight. (The dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months.)
• Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the chilled dough into a 12-inch round and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges with your fingers. Pierce the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Chill at least 1 hour and up to overnight. (If refrigerating overnight, cover with plastic wrap.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the chilled dough with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is golden all over, 10 to 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the filling: Gently whisk the pumpkin, cream, granulated sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt in a large bowl until just smooth (do not overmix). Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Bake until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly at the center, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the marshmallow meringue: Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment along with the sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk to combine. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer base and place over the simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water). Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch. Return the bowl to the stand mixer and whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the marshmallow fluff and vanilla, then beat on medium-high until just combined.
• Gently mound the meringue on top of the filling. Use an offset spatula to spread the meringue all the way to the edges of the crust to completely cover the filling, then make decorative swirls and peaks. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or broil 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown (watch the meringue closely if broiling to prevent burning). Slice the pie into wedges and serve.

MILE HIGH PIE

Steps:

• Combine walnuts and biscuits. Add butter and mash thoroughly.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch diameter springform pan and press biscuit crust into base and 2-inches up side. Cover this crust with waxed paper, cut to fit bottom exactly. Fill pan with split peas, up to height of sides and bake "blind" for 1 hour. Let cool while still filled.
• When crust is cooled, removed pea weights and paper. Meanwhile, whip egg whites with cold water and salt until peaked. Fold in sugar a little at a time. Add vanilla and keep cool.
• Unmold ice cream from containers and cut horizontally through middle of each to yield 4 discs total. Place disks in pie crust, alternating strawberry and vanilla flavors. Top with meringue, letting it fall all around the ice cream. Set in freezer for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove pie from freezer and place in oven to brown meringue tips. You may also use a blowtorch instead. Serve with chocolate sauce.

MILE HIGH STRAWBERRY PIE WITH PECAN CRUMB CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Mix melted butter, pecans, flour and brown sugar in medium bowl with fork until thoroughly mixed. Will be crumbly.
• Place crumb mixture onto 10x15x1" cookie sheet, carefully spreading without packing to cover pan. Bake 10-15 minutes, stirring periodically to brown crumbs and avoid burning.
• Remove crumbs from oven when lightly browned and set on cooling rack to cool, stirring periodically so that crumbs do not compact.
• Next, place egg whites, partially frozen berries and lemon juice in large mixing bowl, beating with electric mixture at high speed for 15 minutes, until filling is a pink 'cloud'.
• Fold whipped topping into strawberry mixture, carefully folding to not 'flatten' cloud.
• Spread 3/4 of crumb mixture into 9x13 pan. Fill with strawberry mixture. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over top. Cover and freeze at least 4 hours, preferably day before serving. Cook time is minimum freezing time.
• Note: Can replace frozen strawberries with 2 Cups sliced fresh strawberries, macerated with 1 Cup sugar. I prefer to use frozen strawberries that are set on counter while crumbs are prepared and baked. I have also substituted Whipped Cream for frozen topping. Place in cold bowl 1 cup heavy cream, and while beating add 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Fold into strawberry cloud in step 5.
• 2nd Note: Can use two 10" deep dish pie plates instead of 9x13" pan. Makes a great dessert to take to church suppers or dessert for a meal taken to sick friend.