CHEFS is a culinary training program that teaches technical and professional skills for entry into the food service industry. Students receive classroom instruction, hands-on kitchen training, and internships at local restaurants or institutional kitchens. Local chefs and restaurateurs support the program by hosting interns, offering guidance, and volunteering as guest instructors to share their expertise.
For the Bourbon Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- All-Butter Pie Dough (recipe follows) or other dough for a 9-inch pie
- 4 large (200 grams) eggs
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (178 grams) dark corn syrup
- ¼ cup (75 grams) chocolate sauce, melted and cooled
- ¼ cup (57 grams) bourbon or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (200 grams) pecan halves
- ¼ cup (20 grams) sweetened coconut flakes
Method
- Position an oven rack in the center position and preheat to 325°F.
- Remove the pie shell from the refrigerator and set it on a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs until light and frothy. Add the sugar, corn syrup, chocolate sauce, bourbon, and salt, whisking until the ingredients come together. Do not overmix, but be sure the bourbon is incorporated. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Lastly, fold in the pecans and the coconut flakes making sure they are equally distributed. Slowly and constantly pour the batter into the pie shell. If you stop while pouring the batter, the pecans will get pushed to the side and your pie filling will have pockets without pecans.
- Bake the pie until the center jiggles slightly, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Remove the pie to a cooling rack and let cool before slicing, 1 to 2 hours.
- To store the pie, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, remove the pie from the freezer and allow it to come to room temperature.
All-Butter Pie Dough, Makes enough for 1 single 9-inch crust pie
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick/113 grams) unsalted butter, preferably European-style, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 ½ cups (204 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- Flour, for rolling out
Method
- Pour ½ cup of water into a measuring cup filled with ice cubes. Set aside.
- Set the cubes of butter on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate and put in the freezer for about 15 minutes to quickly chill.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and using a pastry cutter, fork, food processor, or stand mixer, cut the butter into the flour until there are no visible bits of butter that are larger than a pea. This will allow the crust to be marbled with butter so it melts in the oven while it bakes, and the steam from the butter will separate the crust into multiple layers—resulting in a flaky crust. Pour ¼ cup of the ice water into the flour and butter mixture. Using your hands, gently work the water into the flour mixture until the dough comes together. If the dough is still very crumbly and dry, add ice water about 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together.
- Lightly flour your work surface and set the dough on top. Gently knead the dough into a ball. Do not overwork or you may activate the gluten. Having too much water or overworking the dough may mean that your dough will contract as you roll it out and will not hold its shape.
- Use your hands to press the dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick. Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. (If refrigerating for more than 1 hour, let the dough sit on the countertop for 20 to 30 minutes before rolling; you can also freeze the dough for up to 6 months; if freezing, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.)
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and discard the plastic wrap. Pat the countertop dry if you used ice cubes to chill it and lightly flour the surface. Set your dough on the countertop, then lightly flour the top of your dough.
- When rolling the pie dough, start rolling from the center of the dough and roll away from your body. Slightly turn the dough with each roll, forming a round shape as you go. Turning the dough as you roll also ensures that your dough does not stick to your countertop. If any part of the dough tears along the outer edges while you are rolling it out, simply mend it back together using your fingertips.
- Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll out the pie dough to about 12 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Roll the overhanging dough to the edge of the pan and crimp the edge. Refrigerate for 10 minutes before using.
When rolling out pie dough, chilling your work surface can be helpful, especially on a hot day. I fill a large bowl or baking dish with ice cubes and set it on the countertop to chill the work area. A cold work surface helps keep the butter from melting as you roll it out.
German chocolate cake is a layered chocolate cake filled with a coconut-pecan frosting. Like a lot of my creations, I like to use combinations not usually thought of for pies. And this one, traditionally for the classic cake, works with my bourbon pecan pie! Bourbon and pecans are a classic pairing, but if you don’t like alcohol in your desserts leave it out and use the vanilla instead.