If a cheesecake and a pecan pie had a baby, it’d be this divine dessert
October is one of my favorite months for so many reasons: Pumpkins and mums are greeting my visitors on the front porch. A chill is in the air (even though it seems to be coming and going). Halloween is coming up. And the leaves will turn from green to radiant fall colors of red, orange and yellow.
All the anticipation might be the best part.
I promised last week to share a dessert recipe with you this week. I know my column often lacks those because while I do enjoy baking, at the end of it, you still have just dessert, and you probably shouldn’t make a meal out of that, unless it’s your birthday. People rave about my pies, which is why I host pie classes in November every year. They’re a ball – ladies come with their rolling pins, pie plates and eagerness to make their very own pie. Pie making has become a bit of a lost art, so I really enjoy teaching this class.
This week’s recipe is Cream Cheese Pecan Pie. Randy thinks it’s heaven – it’s like a cheesecake and a pecan pie had a baby. The bottom layer is cheesecake-like and the top layer is all the good parts of a pecan pie – sweet, nutty and crunchy. It’s a real winner, and it’s simple since it’s a single crust pie. You simply roll that dough out, transfer it to your pie plate, pinch those edges, fill it up with the two layers and throw it in the oven.
This recipe came from an Amish cookbook called “Me, Myself and Pie” that I picked up at Carriage Crossing Restaurant in Yoder. I rode out with my girlfriend, Leigh, one fall day a couple of years ago because she was buying a darling little wood table and chairs for her daughters made by the Amish guys that build furniture. I’m so glad I rode along because we had a delightfully satisfying meal at Carriage Crossing, and I found this cookbook. I figured it was time to vary my pie flavors.
People often ask Randy how he keeps his weight down with a wife who cooks so much. The answer is that I don’t bake desserts often and he’s pretty active. However, sometimes on a cool, fall day, it’s fun to get the oven heated up, spend some time in the kitchen and create a masterpiece.
Adriene Rathbun is an enthusiastic Wichita cook who offers cooking classes through her business, Social. Reach her at socialcookingclasses.com or ar@adrienerathbun.com.
Cream Cheese Pecan Pie
1 single pie crust (see below)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
For the topping:
3 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup light corn syrup
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out single pie crust, place it in the pie plate and pinch the edges.
In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla and salt. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the pie crust. Sprinkle with pecan pieces.
For the topping, combine all topping ingredients and beat well. Add to the top of the pie. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until topping is golden brown.
“Me Myself and Pie Cookbook”
Best-Ever Pie Crust
Yields 1, double crust
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ cup chilled lard, cut into ½ inch cubes
5 tablespoons (or more) ice water
Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and lard; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.
Add 3 - 4 tablespoons ice water and mix with fork until dough begins to clump together, adding an additional tablespoon of water if the dough is dry. Gather dough together.
Divide dough by half; flatten each half into disk. Put the disks into a plastic bag and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
Epicurious.com