Few desserts are as identifiably Southern as pecan pie,and not just because of its emphatic sweetness. Replete with toasted nuts, butter, and brown sugar, pecan pies conjure thoughts of mild autumn afternoons spent on a wraparound porch swing. That is, if they're baked correctly! One potential risk of making a translucent custard, like pecan pie filling, is that it might not set properly, leaving you with an unappetizingly runny slice. Once you've noticed the problem, the only solution is to protect the crust and pop the pie back in the oven.
If you look in the oven and see that your pecan pie crust has turned a perfect golden brown, you'll instinctively want to take it out -- even if the filling is too jiggly or even soupy. Here's the thing to remember: If you're filling hasn't set, it means the bottom of the pie crust isn't fully cooked, either. You can prevent the outer crust from further darkening (or even burning) by covering it with aluminum foil or -- more attractively -- with what's known as a pie ring or shield. As long as you were following a dependable recipe, your filling should finish setting in another ten to twenty minutes. Regardless of how good it smells, let the pie cool before cutting into it. We have to be adults about this.
Old-school pecan pie fillingstypically consist of sugar (both brown and white sugar as well as optional corn syrup), butter, eggs, salt, vanilla extract, and pecan halves.Without an apparent structuring agent like flour or starch, how does this pie actually set? Well, like any good custard -- through thegel structure created by the coagulation of egg proteins.This process can't happen too quickly, or else we'd wind up with a scrambled egg and pecan pie instead. Through a complex interaction, the sugar blocks the egg proteins from binding too quickly, while the salt gives them a positive charge, allowing them to bind more fully. And voila: a set pie filling!
If runny pecan pie fillings are a chronic problem, check your oven temperature. It may be running too cool and not be sufficiently hot for the custard magic to take place. Employ the pie-shield solution to save whatever dessert is already in there, and then get yourself a reliable oven thermometer to ensure proper preheating in the future. After all, consistency is everything in baking.
A soupy pecan pie filling can be fixed by covering the crust in foil and popping it back into the oven at around 325 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Do not wait too long after you notice the filling isn't set. If you do, the bottom of the crust could begin to get soggy.
How do you thicken pecan pie? All you need to do with this recipe is cook it for the 60 to 70 minutes duration and your pie will come out perfectly. It will thicken up as it cools. The thermometer will ensure you get the right temperature and consistency inside.
But if you bake your pie and it's STILL runny try letting it cool down (if you haven't yet) and it will likely thicken as it cools, put it back in the oven again to activate the thickener or drain off some of the liquid off and then put it back in the oven.
Cook pecan pie too much and it'll crack and be dry. Underbake it and it will be watery and runny. You want to cook pecan pie to an internal temperature of 200°F. Use a digital thermometer to make this easy.
Corn Syrup: Dark corn syrup adds texture, volume, and deep flavor. For a lighter flavor, use light corn syrup. Butter: Butter gives this pie richness and a delicious depth of flavor. Cornstarch and water: Two teaspoons of cornstarch and a tablespoon of cold water work together to help thicken the filling.
The thickness of some fillings (namely, those thickened with flour or cornstarch) changes a lot as they cool, while others come out of the oven fairly close to what their final thickness will be.
Clear Jel powder {the cooking type} is simply modified corn starch and works well to keep fillings nice and thick whether you are going to cook them right away, or stash in the freezer for later. Clear Jel powder also works great to thicken up cream pies too.
Cooling it too quickly. Let the pie cool gradually in a warm place in your kitchen, and never ever refrigerate your pie until it's completely cooled—the change is too drastic. My pecan pie puffs and then falls.
How Long Can Pecan Pie Be Left at Room Temperature? Pecan pies can stay on the counter for up to two hours before they need to be refrigerated, according to the FDA. After two hours at room temperature, your food is at risk for harmful bacteria growth.
Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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