Three Pepper Pie Recipes

CLASSIC PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse about 10 times until it looks like cornmeal with pea-size bits of butter. Add the egg and pulse 1 or 2 more times. If the dough is very dry, add the water. Pulse 8 to 10 times until the dough starts to clump together and there is no visible flour. Turn out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk; wrap tightly. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the edges, leaving a 1-inch overhang, then tuck the overhanging dough under itself; crimp the edges with a fork. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position racks in the middle and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375˚. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack until toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the nuts cool slightly, then roughly chop.
• Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper or foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Place the pie crust on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack until the dough is dry and set around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans and continue baking until the crust is light golden brown all over, 10 to 15 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, bourbon and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring; boil 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped pecans and vanilla bean paste. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk the eggs into the filling until smooth, then pour the filling into the hot crust. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through before filling.)
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚. Bake the pie (on the baking sheet) on the lower oven rack until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, 40 to 45 minutes. (If the crust is getting too dark, cover loosely with foil.) Transfer the pie to a rack to cool completely.

PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, water, and cornstarch. Bring to a full boil, and remove from heat.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Gradually beat in cooked syrup mixture. Stir in salt, vanilla, and pecans. Pour into pie shell.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until filling is set.

CHEF JOHN'S PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll pie dough in a 9 1/2-inch glass pie dish and crimp the edges. Cover dough in parchment paper and press paper down to line the dough; pour pie weights on top of the parchment paper and spread evenly over the bottom.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights to a bowl. Bake crust until lightly golden and set, about 10 minutes more.
• Spread pecans out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until lightly toasted, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Stir brown sugar, butter, white sugar, corn syrup, flour, milk, bourbon, vanilla extract, and salt together in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Slowly drizzle sugar mixture into eggs, whisking constantly.
• Spread pecans out in the bottom of the crust. Pour sugar mixture over nuts and gently stir with a spatula to coat all of the nuts.
• Bake pie in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown and pie is set, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely.

3-PEPPER QUICHE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, sauté pepper strips and onions in margarine until soft but not limp.
• In a bowl, combine eggs, half-n-half, water, garlic, basil, and cayenne.
• Spoon peppers into unbaked pie shell.
• Pour egg mixture over peppers.
• Bake at 375°F for 50-55 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

IRRESISTIBLE PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• To Make Crust: In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and white sugar. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually sprinkle the water over the dry mixture, stirring until dough comes together enough to form a ball.
• On a floured surface flatten dough ball with rolling pin. Roll out into a circle that is one inch larger than pie dish. Place pie shell into dish and refrigerate until pie filling is complete.
• To Make Pie Filling: In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, light and dark corn syrups, brown sugar, butter, salt and finely crushed pecans. Spread quartered pecans over bottom of refrigerated pie crust. Pour syrup mixture over top of pecans, then arrange pecan halves on top of pie.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for one hour or until firm; let cool for one hour before serving.

CLASSIC PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans.
• Pour into pie crust.
• Bake at 350 degrees F on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes.
• Cool for 2 hours before serving.