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November 10, 2012

Maple Pecan Pie

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Time is flying by.  It's already November and it feels like the end of August!  Here in Arizona, the mornings are chilly but it manages to hit somewhere in the 80s by the afternoon.

I know, jealous?

My family isn't as lucky though.  They just got hit with a ton of snow the other day.  Thankfully the power didn't go out like it did from Sandy.


A common sight on nearby streets

I guess our fence needs some fixing...

This chair flew across the yard

On a lighter note, though, I am definitely looking forward to Thanksgiving.  I can hug my family, I can see how our house is holding up (and check on that broken fence...), I can wear boots and walk in the snow, I can breathe in the cool, crisp air... and I can wear a real jacket!

And "looking forward" to Thanksgiving means I'm prepping, and "prepping" means I'm baking  :)  My family isn't big on pumpkin, we aren't lovers of fruitcake and we aren't fans of jiggly gelatin desserts, so Pecan Pie is our best bet.  I've wanted to healthify Pecan Pie for quite some time now but just never got around to it, mostly because of all the substitutions I would have to make scared me a bit.  Traditional Pecan Pie contains corn syrup, sugar, eggs and butter.  No, no, no... and no.

I'm so glad my sister requested me to make Pecan Pie, otherwise I probably never would have "gotten around to it" from my fears.  To make the recipe a little healthier I used a whole grain pie crust instead of a white flour crust, to make it a little more nutritious I used pure maple syrup and sucanat instead of corn syrup and sugar, to make it cholesterol-free I used egg whites and coconut oil instead of whole eggs and butter.



This is an all-natural, good-for-you dessert that is perfect for Thanksgiving, or any holiday for that matter!


Maple Pecan Pie:
(makes one 9" deep dish pie)

    1/2 cup + 2 tbs Egg Whites (I used cartoned whites)
    336g (1 cup) Pure Maple Syrup
    28g (2 tbs) Coconut Oil, soft
    21g (1 tbs) Molasses
    1 tsp Vanilla Paste
    180g (3/4 cup + 3 tbs) Granulated Sweetener (I used 1/4c sucanat, the rest erythritol)
    10g (1 tbs) Brown Rice Flour (I'm sure any other flour will work)
    1 cup Pecans, chopped

    one Deep Dish Whole Grain Pie Crust**
    Pecans, for topping (optional, but makes it pretty)

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, maple syrup, coconut oil, molasses, vanilla paste, sucanat, erythritol and brown rice flour.  Stir in the chopped pecans.
3.  Put cold pie crust on a cookie sheet or flat pan for easier transportation to/from the oven.  Pour the wet ingredients into the pie crust and top with pecans if you like (it looks nice to make a ring of pecans around the crust).  Bake for approximately an hour (see notes).  The pie should poof somewhat high due to the egg whites.  Let pie cool on a wire cooling rack (the poof will sink) then slice and serve!

**Notes:
1.  I bought a frozen whole wheat crust from Whole Foods and thawed it in the refrigerator uncovered for a few hours, however it wasn't that deep so the filling came right up to the top.  You can use any pie crust you like, preferably whole grain and made without butter or anything hydrogenated.  For gluten free, use your favorite GF pie crust.
2.  My cookie sheet warped in the oven, leaving my filled-to-the-brim pie uneven and some of the filling leaked out.  This may have affected the total baking time, but not by much.  The pie is done when the pecans turn a rich brown color (not burnt!)
3.  Cover and refrigerate leftovers in the refrigerator.  This pie freezes well, just thaw in the fridge for a few hours, then at room temp after that.


Everyone adored this pie, I can't wait to make it for my family during Thanksgiving.  It's like a pecan bar but in pie form.  My friend likes to zap a slice in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until hot, then top with a giant scoop of Vanilla Maple Arctic Zero ice cream.  Does that sound amazing or what?

This is definitely going to be on our holiday spread, and hopefully yours too!

3 comments:

  1. This looks spectacular. I was looking for something amazing for our Christmas table and being an Aussie, we tend to like our pumpkin savoury not sweet and this recipe hits the nail right on the head :)

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  2. Wow, this looks incredible! Your pictures are lovely! I love pie season and I will definitely put this recipe on my list to try for the holidays. :)

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  3. Ooh I too jazzed up the usually unhealthy pecan pie to create something we wouldn't regret. We devoured it at Thanksgiving just gone (in Canada). I don't think a pecan pie is complete without maple syrup, so I'm pleased to see a good cupful in yours! It looks wonderful - beautiful photos. Was sad to see photos of your parents wreckage. Hope all goes well restoring it and celebrating American thanksgiving together.

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