Summer Bailey Spills Her Grandmother’s Secret Pecan Pie Recipe—With a Twist
Take a page from Tampa pastry chef Summer Bailey's family recipe book and bake a classic New Orleans pie with a salty spin.
Serves 4 to 6
Pie crust
- 6 sticks unsalted butter
- 3 cups pretzels, finely ground
- 5 ounces granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
PREPARATION: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt six sticks of butter and combine with the ground pretzels, sugar and salt. Spray a 9×13 pie pan with a nonstick spray, and press the crust mixture firmly into the pan. Bake the crust for 12 minutes.
Let cool.
Filling
- 8 ounces pecan pieces
- 10 ounces light corn syrup
- 8 ounces sugar
- 3 eggs
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cardamom
- 1 dash grated nutmeg
- 1 stick unsalted butter
PREPARATION: Toast the pecan pieces in a dry, nonstick pan until slightly charred, and set aside to cool. Slowly brown the remaining stick of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until golden, and set aside to cool. Use a paddle mixer to combine the remaining ingredients in the order listed, mixing well after each addition. Add the browned butter, using a hand whisk to incorporate. Pour the pie filling into the cooled crust, and bake uncovered in the bottom of a 300-degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 250 degrees, and bake for another 10 minutes. The pie is done when the center of the filling is firm and doesn’t move when tilted slightly from side to side.
