Brown Butter Pecan Pie

Pastry chef Mai Nguyen

Cocorico

Omni Boston Hotel at The Seaport

Boston, Mass.

Cocorico is a popular destination for baked goods in Boston, thanks to the skilled hands of pastry chef Mai Nguyen. She gives the classic pecan pie a flavorful update by adding ground pecans and chocolate to the crust and browned butter and bourbon to the filling. Weighing the ingredients offers a more precise result.

Steps

1. For crust, combine all ingredients except chocolate in stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Paddle on low for 1 minute 
2. Increase speed to medium; continue mixing until a dough is formed, about 1 to 2 minutes.  
3. Preheat oven to 325 F. Roll out dough into a 10-inch circle, 1/8-inch thick. Refrigerate for 25 minutes to firm it up. (This makes it easier to handle when molding into your pie tin) 
4. Mold pie dough into 9-inch pie pan, trim off excess dough from edges; prick bottom several times with fork. Par-bake crust with baking beans or pie weights for about 12-15 minutes. Brush bottom and lower sides of your par-baked crust with dark chocolate to prevent a soggy pie shell. 
5. For filling, to brown the butter, heat double the amount of butter in medium saucepan (to account for loss during the cooking process.) Cook over medium-low heat until butter turns golden brown; strain and weigh out 105 grams and set aside. 
6. Increase oven to temperature to 345 F. In large bowl, combine butter with remaining filling ingredients except pecans. With immersion blender, blend until smooth.
7. Place pecan halves into pie shell; pour filling over pecans. Bake pie about 30 minutes until center firms up slightly and pecans look toasted; filling should crack slightly. Cool pie on wire rack before slicing.

Photo courtesy of Cocorico