i have some bones to pick with you.
i can see that many of you are lurking. i have technological proof.
but barely any of you are saying hi.
to those of you who have said hi, hey, i love you. and those of you who haven't, i love you too. but please say hi!
i want to know who you are and how your day is and how many cookies you can pile in your mouth.
are you even reading this right now?
HEY HI!!!!! you're scrolling down through the pictures so fast.....did you stop?
hi. i just wanted to say hi.
i don't think i've ever really formally introduced myself here.
my name is julia...hey.
i like hanging out in my bed.
i mostly write at night, in this bed, with pens and papers. when i wake up, i find these papers beside me and don't remember writing half of the things until i see them in the morning.
aH HA!
formalities are weird. especially in a space like this when i can sound as crazy as i please.
but in all seriousness, listen. serious. i'd like to know you.
if you are obsessed with eating pies and find these ramblings worth returning to then we'd probably be awesome friends.
so today, in the spirit of this week, i want to thank you and give you love in the form of pie. one of the best forms of love in the world.
i love you for coming here and reading these words. thank you for the inspiration and encouragement and saying nice things to me about this silly little blog.
you make my day better. my life..you totally make my life better.
now onto the pie! this is a pie. a gargantuan monster of a pie. a pie to celebrate.
it's deep and rich and flakey and gooey. in other words, it's perfect.
i wish more than anything that i could share it with each one of you.
Pecan Pie with Tangerine and Bourbon
Flakey Tart Dough
3 cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup + 5 tbsp unsalted butter, very cold
2/3 cup water, very cold
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp bourbon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups pecan halves
1 tbsp tangerine zest
for crust: in a small bowl, add salt to the water and stir to dissolve. keep very cold until ready to use. put the flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. cut the butter into 1 inch pieces and scatter the butter over the flour. pulse briefly until the mixture forms large crumbs and some of the butter is still in pieces the size of peas. add the water and salt mixture and pulse for several seconds until the dough begins to come together into a ball but is not completely smooth. you should still be able to see some butter chunks.
on a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 2 equal sized balls and shape each into a disk, about 1 inch thick. wrap well in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
on a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. cut out a 12 inch circle and place in a 10 inch pie dish. trim dough so there is an even 1/2 inch overhang. fold the overhand under, and flute or crimp the edge. chill the shell until firm to the touch about 35-45 minutes.
preheat the oven to 375. line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. bake the shell until the surface looks light brown, about 25 minutes, to check, lift a corner of the paper. remove from the oven and remove the weights and paper. return the shell to the oven and bake until golden, about 5-10 minutes longer.
cool completely before filling.
for filling: in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, maple syrup, corn syrup, bourbon, and salt. place over medium heat and bring to a rolling boil, boil for 1 minute. take the pan off the heat, add the butter and whisk until it melts. let the mixture cool to room temperature. while the mixture is cooling, preheat the oven to 350.
add the vanilla and eggs to the cooled mixture and stir to mix well. stir in the pecans and zest. pour into the pie shell.
bake until the filling is just set, 40 to 60 minutes. if the top is browning too quickly, cover with a piece of aluminum foil. let cool on a wire rack. serve warm or at room temperature, WITH ICE CREAM!
