I've burned 4 pecan pies in 2 days....

[jellyworker]

hello all,

we're having an office holiday party for thanksgiving and i decided to bring a pecan pie. now, since this is my first pie, i figured i'd make a few test pies before the big day. well, heres my problem, i've burned every one. a total of 4. i don't understand why this is happening. i've even lowered the temp, but the crust and the edges always burn. and also, the center, well,,, umm... just doesn't look right. i'm expecting a beautiful light brown center, and it always looks gunky and very dark brown. instead of being smooth, it look like chunky peanutbutter. when i try to cut it, the top separates from the gooey part. heres the recipe i'm using. word for word.

Classic Pecan Pie

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 55 to 60 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Yield: 8 servings

• 1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen** deep-dish pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.
3. Bake on center rack of oven for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.
4. **To use prepared frozen pie crust: Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.

any help would be appreciated.

 

[QSis]

Well, jelly, I'm not much of a baker, but if your pie looks anything like these "pecan pie" - Google Image Search

most likely you are doing everything correctly.

If you are using dark corn syrup (my preference), the filling will be very dark.

The filling of pecan pie IS goo - delicious goo! And the top will develop a little crust, making it a different texture than underneath.

To prevent the edges from burning, foil some aluminum foil over the edges of the crust and leave it there for half the baking time, removing it when halftime is up to brown the crust.

The bottom isn't burned, is it?

You can send all your rejects over to ME!

Lee

 

[jellyworker]

i'm using the dark syrup. i'm expecting the goo to be smooth. its clucky. chunked up instead of smooth.

i'll try the foil thing tonight.

no, the bottom isn't burned. i took a pic, but i can't upload here.

 

[jabbur]

The goo will not be smooth like a pudding. It will have a texture to it and be kind of lumpy looking. The top of the pie will be hard and crusty. Try the foil on the pie crust to prevent it from burning but if the bottom isn't burned then you are not burning the pie. Try to use a deep dish pie pan too. That will help the crust not to brown too quickly as well. Most of the time pecan pie looks awful but it tastes great! If your filling tastes the way you want, don't worry too much about how it looks. Also the filling will set up as it cools as well so it will get thicker and more solid.

 

[jellyworker]

sounds good. i just got off the phone w/ my mom. it seems that i've been buying gram cracker crusts instead of the baking crust.

i'll try again tonight w/ the right crust and the foil.

thanks all!

 

[jabbur]

Yep that'll do it. I find that Pillsbury has great ready made pie crusts in the refrigerator section near their biscuits. It's already rolled out, cut in a circle. Just fit it into your pie plate and fill with your goodness! It'll be much better doing it that way and will cook better than the aluminum pie tins with unbaked crusts from the freezer.

 

[jellyworker]

ohhhhhhhhhh. so i shouldn't be using aluminum pie tins either? ok. i'll try this again tonight.

 

[ChefJune]

If you want folks to think that Pillsbury crust is home made, roll it out a little thinner and then fit it into your pan. I find it's too thick the way it comes from the box.

 

[babetoo]

i'm using the dark syrup. i'm expecting the goo to be smooth. its clucky. chunked up instead of smooth.

i'll try the foil thing tonight.

no, the bottom isn't burned. i took a pic, but i can't upload here.

i think the filling is more like a custard than anything else, but not smooth.

 

[jellyworker]

hey gang. the pie is looking much better since i switched to the frozen pie crusts. its cooling now. i'll let you know tomorrow how it turned out.

 

[jellyworker]

hey gang,

the pie turned out great!!!!! thanks for all of your help.

one more question? i don't plan on taking this to work til thursday, should i put it in the fridge? or should i leave it on the counter.

thanks

 

[ChefJune]

The fridge will sog up the crust. There's so much sugar in that pie, its petrified. If your kitchen is cool, I'd leave it out. Wrapped or in a pie keep, though.

 

[jellyworker]

oh yea. lol. well thats a good thing, chefjune, because i left it sitting out. i had really forgot about it till i just got an email about this tread. ha ha ha.

thanks again for your help guys,

 

[PieSusan]

Might I suggest that you get a really good basic baking cookbook? You might want to start with anything by Maida Heatter or Nick Malgieri's latest cookbook, "The Home Baker". It sounds to me that you could use some help with the basics of baking. I know it can be frustrating and a waste of time, effort, energy and money when things flop in the kitchen. I would hate to have you get discouraged. I love to bake and find it to be really rewarding, relaxing and a great way to de-stress.
As ever, Pie Susan

 

[expatgirl]

glad that you got the hang of it.......my hubby and cats have been known to duck when I'm making pie doughs.........but I do feel better after hurling the dough across the room...then I'm ready to start all over again and get it right.......next time I might suggest a different type of pie........like pumpkin or a fruit pie just to get your feet wet...I wished that I was a great baker like Pie Susan and confirm it's a great way to destress........it's NOT for me.......jest kidding PS........