Lunch: Pecan Pie with Candied Ginger and Rum

Recipe by Alice Medrich For a wonderful contrast to the sweetness of her pecan pie, master baker Alice Medrich adds minced candied ginger and a splash of rum to the filling.

Ingredients

2 c. Pecan halves
all-purpose flour
Perfectly Flaky Yogurt-Butter Pie Dough
1 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. light corn syrup
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
2 tbsp. rum
1/4 c. crystallized ginger

Instructions

To make crust: Measure the flour into a glass or ceramic bowl and freeze for 15 minutes. Freeze the 3-tablespoon-size chunk of butter for 15 minutes. Put the 5 tablespoons of diced butter on a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes. In a glass measuring cup, combine the yogurt and salt with 1 tablespoon of cold water and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Using a pastry blender or two butter knives, cut the diced butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Using your hands, rub the mixture between your hands until all of the fat is evenly distributed and the mixture resembles fine oat flakes. Using a sharp knife or a cheese plane, very thinly slice the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and freeze the slices for 5 minutes.
Add the butter slices to the bowl. Toss gently to separate the slices and cut once or twice to combine them with the flour; the slices should remain cold and intact. Drizzle the cold yogurt into the bowl, using a rubber spatula to stir and toss as you drizzle. Continue tossing the dough, scraping any off the spatula and the side of the bowl, until it is crumbly and evenly moistened. Press the dough into a 6-inch disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight, or freeze for 1 month.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool.
Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 13-inch round; patch any cracks. Fold the round in quarters and transfer to a 9-inch glass pie dish; unfold the pastry and gently press it into the pie plate. Using scissors, trim the overhanging dough to 1/2 inch. Tuck the edge of the dough under itself and crimp decoratively. Line the dough with foil, shiny side down, and prick all over with a fork, piercing the foil and pie dough. Freeze for 15 minutes.
Fill the pie with pie weights or dried beans and bake in the lower third of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and weights. Return the crust to the oven and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes.
To make filling: Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of simmering water and whisk in the eggs 1 at a time. Cook, whisking gently, until the filling is warm to the touch. Remove from the heat and whisk in the rum.
Arrange the pecans in the pie shell and scatter the crystallized ginger on top. Pour the filling over the pecans. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the filling is jiggly but not cracked; cover the edge of the crust with strips of foil halfway through baking to prevent over-browning. Let the pie cool on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve.

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