Eggnog Pie in Pecan Crust
Eggnog pie in pecan crust: a silky, no-bake rum-and-brandy custard filling spooned into a toasted pecan crust. The grown-up Christmas pie your holiday table needs.
YIELD
1 piePREP
30 minCOOK
25 minREADY
2 hrsEggnog Pie in Pecan Crust
This eggnog pie captures everything holiday-season nostalgic about a cold glass of rum-spiked eggnog and reshapes it into a showstopper dessert. The filling is a classic Bavarian-style cream stabilized with gelatin, spiked with dark rum and brandy, and lightened with whipped cream until it holds a peak but melts on the tongue.
The pecan crust is where this pie pulls away from the pack. Ground pecans pressed with sugar and melted butter into the pan bake up with a shortbread-like snap and a nutty richness that pairs perfectly with the boozy custard. It’s also gluten-free, which is a bonus for holiday crowds.
The make-or-break step is tempering the egg yolk custard. Stirring hot milk slowly into the whipped yolk-and-sugar mixture warms the eggs gradually; dumping it all in at once scrambles the yolks. Cooking stops the moment the custard coats the back of a spoon.
Cooling the custard over an ice bath until it just starts setting at the edges is the second critical moment. Fold the whipped cream in too early and it’ll sink; fold it in too late and you’ll have chunky filling instead of silky mousse.
Pro Tips
- Toast the ground pecans in a dry skillet for 5 minutes before making the crust; you’ll taste the difference in every bite.
- Bloom the gelatin in cold water and brandy for at least 5 minutes until it looks wrinkly and soft; under-bloomed gelatin creates a grainy filling.
- Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan for the custard to prevent hot spots and scrambled yolks.
- Chill the mixing bowl and beaters for 15 minutes before whipping the cream; cold equipment gives you maximum volume.
Variations
- Substitute bourbon for the rum and brandy for a Southern twist.
- Add ¼ teaspoon of grated nutmeg to the filling for authentic eggnog spice.
- Top the finished pie with additional whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon or grated dark chocolate for a more dramatic presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Butter 10 inch pie plate. In medium bowl, combine pecans, sugar and melted butter.
Mix well. Press firmly into pie plate. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes while preheating oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Bake crust until lightly browned.
In a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over cold water and brandy and allow to soften.
While that soaks, combine egg yolks and sugar in small mixer bowl and mix at high speed with electric mixer until mixture forms ribbons when beaters are lifted.
Pour into large heavy saucepan and slowly stir in hot milk.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon.
DO NOT BOIL.
Remove from heat and stir in softened gelatin until disolved.
Stir in vanilla and rum.
Pour custard into a medium bowl set into a larger bowl of ice and water and allow to cool, stirring frequently.
When it begins to set around the edges, remove from ice bath (do not allow to set completely).
In chilled bowl, beat cream to soft peaks and fold gradually into custard.
If necessary, refrigerate filling a few minutes until it mounds when spooned.
Pile filling into crust and refigerate until set (about an hour).
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