new orleans–style pecan pie with gluten-free crust

Pecan pie is a New Orleans institution and most certainly a Lagasse one, too. We make this pie several times throughout the year—Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving, and Christmas at least! It’s just heaven in a bite. Jilly likes to sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top of hers before baking for an even more decadent pie. Light Karo syrup is simply light corn syrup and should be readily available at your local grocery store, in the baking section. Dad’s delicious gluten-free pie crust recipe yields 2 pie crusts, so feel free to freeze one until you need it. You can use it for savory or sweet dishes, so get creative and let us know what you come up with! Everyone loves a blank canvas, don’t they? Slice a lil’ New Orleans lovin’ with this delicious pie and enjoy!

SERVES 8 TO 10

INGREDIENTS

filling

1 cup light Karo syrup

3 whole eggs plus 1 yolk, beaten

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1½ cups shelled pecan halves or pieces

1 gluten-free pie crust, partially blind baked as described in recipe below

crust

1 cup white rice flour

¾ cup tapioca flour

¾ cup potato starch

1 heaping teaspoon xanthan gum

¾ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar

½ cup shortening

¼ cup butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Sweet rice flour for dusting

STEPS

filling

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the pecans and the pie crust. Mix well.

Arrange the pecans on the bottom of the partially blind baked pie crust (instructions on here) and carefully pour the filling over them. The pecans will float to the top.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the filling has set and reaches an internal temperature of 200°F.

Allow the pie to cool on a rack for at least two hours before serving.

crust

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice and tapioca flours, potato starch, xanthan gum, salt, and sugar.

Cut in the shortening and butter.

Blend together the beaten egg, vinegar, and cold water in a separate bowl.

Stir into the flour mixture and knead into a ball. You cannot overknead this dough.

Form dough into two balls and place in a bowl; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove and roll out one ball of the dough between two sheets of parchment paper dusted with sweet rice flour. Remove the top sheet of parchment and invert the dough and drop it into the pan. The dough is delicate and should be handled with care. Shape the dough around the edges if necessary, using any extra bits and pasting with a little extra cool water, as you would with normal pie dough.

Repeat this process with the second ball of dough to form a second pie crust.

Line the crusts with parchment, fill with pie weights, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the dough is lightly golden around the top edges and the bottom of the pie pastry is opaque and dry.

Freeze the second crust for another use. Allow the crust to cool before making the filling.

note: The dough does not hold well, so we advise either making 2 pies or partially blind baking as described above and freezing for a later date.