Thanksgivings in my house when I was growing up, it was a Norman Rockwell scene with eight of us gathered around our table at dinnertime. For our Thanksgiving meal my mom would always buy the biggest turkey she could find, usually a 30-pounder (it’s a miracle it fit in our oven!). The menu was the same every year. Roast turkey with cornbread stuffing (made with homemade cornbread, onions, mushrooms, celery, herbs, and water chestnuts), mashed potatoes with gravy, marinated green beans with almonds, cranberry relish, homemade rolls, and pie. After everyone had had second helpings and our innies were outies, our bellies were so stuffed, my mom would ask “Who wants pie?” and there would be a chorus of voices crying “Me!”
My mom was wonderful baker. I especially loved her apple pie made with apples from the local orchard where she bought apples by the peck during the fall months. My other favorite holiday pie is pecan. While I was testing recipes for my cookbook SOMETHING WARM FROM THE OVEN, I found a recipe that was an unusual take on the classic pecan pie recipe. I experimented, and voila, my pecan cranberry pie was born. Tart and sweet, crunchy and gooey, it hits all the right notes. It’s become a family favorite in my household. Here’s the recipe, my Thanksgiving gift to you:
PECAN CRANBERRY PIE
Dough: (this recipe yields enough for one 9-inch double-crust pie. Use half for this recipe and freeze the remaining half for later use)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
6 ounces unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 large egg, beaten
• Place the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor. Whir to mix. Add the butter in chunks. Whir for several seconds, then pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the butter is in pea-sized chunks. Be careful not to over-process!
In a small bowl whisk together the beaten egg and vinegar with 3 ½ tablespoons ice-cold water. Add to the flour-butter mixture. Pulse just until the mixture starts to come together. Be careful not to over-process. Turn the dough onto a surface lightly dusted with flour. Shape into a ball. Divide into two halves. Gently shape each half into a ball and flatten into a disc with the palm of your hand. Chill one disc for a minimum of two hours; freeze the remaining disc for later use.
• With rolling pin, roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Place in a 9-inch pie plate; crimp the edges. Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Filling:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
6 ounces pecans
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (unthawed if using frozen)
1 ¼ cup dark corn syrup
1 cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
4 eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup rum
Remove the pie shell from the freezer and cover the bottom with the pecans and cranberries. Bring the corn syrup and sugar to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Remove from the heat. Add the butter and stir until melted. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the eggs, flour, and rum with electric mixer. Add the syrup-sugar mixture a little at a time (a steady drizzle), mixing continuously. Pour the mixture over the pecans and cranberries in the pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes, or until set. Serve with whipped cream.
Enjoy! And Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
