Parsnip Maple Pie With Pecan Crust

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 lbs parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon natural maple extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pecans
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons ice water

Recipe

• 1 crust instructions:.
• 2 preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• 3 in a food processor, pulse the pecans with the sugar just until coarsely ground, then transfer to a large bowl.
• 4 wiping out the processor bowl, blend together the flour, butter, and salt until the mixture resembles coarse meal. add this to the pecan mixture in the bowl.
• 5 add the ice water, tossing with a fork until incorporated but not over-worked.
• 6 press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" deep-dish pie pan, pricking the crust bottom with a fork and fluting the pie crust edges. allow to chill for 30 minutes.
• 7 line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans and bake in the middle of the oven for 7 minutes.
• 8 remove the foil, beans or weights and bake crust for an additional 5 minutes. cool before filling.
• 9 filling instructions:.
• 10 preheat the oven for 350 degrees.
• 11 on a steamer rack set over briskly boiling water, steam the diced parsnips for 12-15 minutes or until very, very tender.
• 12 remove the steamer rack and allow the parsnips to cool and dry. when cool, force them through a food mill or ricer into a large bowl. you should have 2 1/2 cups of parsnips.
• 13 in parsnip bowl, whisk in the half & half, eggs, maple syrup and extract and spices, beating filling until smooth.
• 14 pour the filling into the pre-baked pecan crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. bake in the middle of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until just set in the middle.
• 15 remove and allow to cool on a wire rack. serve with whippped cream drizzled with maple syrup.