Claire Criscuolo

North Carolina Pecan Pie

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Makes a

    9

    pie

Appears in

Welcome to Claire's: 35 Years of Recipes and Reflections from the Landmark Vegetarian Restaurant

Welcome to Claire's

By Claire Criscuolo

Published 2014

Our pecans come from Elbie Powers, who grows them on his farm in North Carolina. They are truly enormous, meaty, and amazing! Pure indulgence!

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1⅓ cups light corn syrup
  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1 9-inch prebaked piecrust (trans fat-free store bought will work in a pinch)

Method

  1. Center the oven rack. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a bowl, combine the eggs, salt, and sugar. Whisk well. Add the corn syrup, melted butter, and the vanilla. Whisk well. Set the prebaked piecrust on a cookie sheet to collect any spills. Spread the pecans evenly on the bottom of the prebaked piecrust. Ladle the filling over the pecans. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350°F and bake for another 30-35 minutes, until the center is just set. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

“While at Yale, I was constantly writing papers. The source of my inspiration: Claire’s cakes! Every week I came to Claire’s, my home away from home, to muscle through paper after paper with a pen in one hand and a fork in the other. I don’t know how I would have graduated without the support of the Claire’s family (and Corner Copia food)! When people ask me what I’m going to miss the most about Yale, I always say Claire’s!”

—David Washer, Yale University, Class of 2011

© 2014 All rights reserved. Published by Rowman & Littlefield.