If you don’t have a cake ring, you can use a nine-inch springform pan instead; make sure the dough comes up 1 1/2 inches from the bottom of the pan.

　　

Ingredients

makes one 9-inch pie

　　All-purpose flour, for dusting

　　Pâte Brisée (page 224)

　　6 large eggs

　　1 tablespoon heavy cream

　　1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

　　6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

　　1/3 cup light corn syrup

　　1/3 cup unsulfured molasses

　　1 tablespoon bourbon or dark rum

　　1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　1 2/3 cups pecans, coarsely chopped, plus 1/3 cup whole pecan halves

　　

Step 1

Set a 9-inch cake ring (with 1 1/2-inch sides) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to a 13-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off the excess flour; fit dough into cake ring, gently pressing into the edges and up the sides. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Using a sharp paring knife, trim dough flush with the top edge of ring. Chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.

　　

Step 2

Line another baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining dough to an 1/8-inch thickness. Using leaf-shaped cutters, cut out 12 leaves (we made seven larger ones for the outside edge and five smaller ones for the middle); transfer to the prepared sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and the heavy cream; brush over leaf cutouts, and transfer to the refrigerator.

　　

Step 3

Line chilled pie shell with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges begin to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

　　

Step 4

In a medium bowl,whisk together the remaining 5 eggs, the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, molasses, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the chopped pecans. Pour filling into the cooled pie shell; arrange reserved leaves and whole pecans on top of pie.

　　

Step 5

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until a knife tip inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pie (still on the baking sheet) to a wire rack to cool completely before unmolding. Pie can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for up to 4 days.

　　

Pecan Pie how-to

Step 6

Leaf-shaped cutouts of pie dough are placed among whole pecans in a decorative pattern over the filling before the pie is baked.

　　Reprinted with permission from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook by Martha Stewart. © 2005 Clarkson Potter