Most pecan pies are made with corn syrup, which you won’t find in my recipes. However, the first pecan pies predated corn syrup and were rich dairy custards — think coconut custard but with pecans. I love the buttery, sticky sweetness of pecan pie, though, so I use brown sugar and local apple blossom honey, taking a few extra minutes to brown the butter rather than just melt it, for a nuttier caramelized flavor. The combination of honey and browned butter gives this pecan pie complexity and character.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
- Melt the butter over medium heat in Saucy. After the butter melts and begins to bubble, heat for 5 to 10 minutes more, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the butter browns.
- When the butter is sufficiently browned, small chunks of toasty brown caramelized milk solids will have formed, and the rest of the butter will have a deep, golden-brown hue. Allow the browned butter to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, eggs, egg yolk, salt, and vanilla.
- Whisk the honey into the warm browned butter. Whisk the honey-butter mixture into the sugar mixture. Use a rubber spatula to scrape every bit of honey butter from the pan, and stir until smooth.
- Place Sweetie Pie with the crimped crust on Holy Sheet. Place the pecans in the bottom of the crust, then pour in the filling, making sure to scrape the entire contents from the sides of the bowl into the pie.
- Use a crust protector, or gently wrap foil around the crimped edge, to prevent overbaking. Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate and reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake for 30 minutes more, or until the center of the pie has puffed up.
- Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. The pie will keep for up to one week at room temperature.
