Try this Mini Pecan Pies recipe
- Carbohydrate 99.2655775275486 g
- Cholesterol 252.257500051933 mg
- Fat 342.429188703026 g
- Fiber 43.6296192516884 g
- Protein 48.6226803299391 g
- Saturated Fat 36.4337384747308 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (650g)
- Sodium 28134.2915802231 mg
- Sugar 55.6359582758601 g
- Trans Fat 16.7106284882232 g
- Calories 3443 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- With an electric mixer, cream together 1 stick of butter and ¼ cup sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Whisk together the flour and salt and then add to butter mixture in 3 additions.
- Blend well until a dough forms.
- Butter or spray 12 mini fluted molds.
- Divide dough into 12 equal portions and pat into mini molds.
- Prick the dough with a fork to prevent bubbling or rising.
- Partially bake molds for 15 minutes.
- In a saucepan, combine 2 sticks of butter, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup honey.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and carefully stir in the pecans and the heavy cream.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust molds.
- Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and the top is semi-firm.
- Let cool before serving.
- Serve Mini Pecan Pies with whipped cream if desired.
Standard full-sized pecan pies require long baking windows to set their custards, whereas miniature versions bake rapidly through direct heat conduction in small metal molds. Creaming the butter and sugar until the mixture appears light and pale incorporates microscopic air pockets necessary for a tender crust. Pricking the raw dough with a fork provides essential escape routes for steam, preventing the base from ballooning inside the 350 degrees F oven during the initial 15-minute blind bake.
Controlling Temperature and Texture
Boiling the butter, brown sugar, and honey mixture for precisely 3 minutes drives off excess moisture, ensuring the caramel thickens properly instead of remaining watery. Stirring heavy cream into the hot sugar syrup lowers the temperature gently without seizing the fats. Pouring this warm filling into partially baked pastry shells requires caution, and baking the assembled pies for 20 minutes creates a semi-firm, bubbly top layer.
- Baking past 20 minutes causes the high sugar content to burn rather than caramelize.
- Skipping the cooling phase results in a runny filling that collapses upon cutting.
- Using cold butter for the crust inhibits proper flour absorption and yields tough pastry.
