Store-bought Pecan Pie

[epicurious]

I'm throwing a cajun-themed dinner party this weekend and would like to serve a pecan pie for dessert. Now, I'm not much of a baker so I'd like to know where I could buy a really great pecan pie. Or sweet potato pie, for that matter. Both would be a great finale, especially with the bourbon butter sauce I will be making...

Thanks!

[carswell]

The best I've tasted was at Savannah. But that was before the recent chef change and they may not do takeout. And even then it couldn't hold a candle to the homemade and diner pies served in the southern US. New crop nuts from local trees make a world of difference, not to mention the larded pie crusts.

[Lesley C]

Au Pain Doré.

Next...

[Mr. Fagioli]

I haven't bought a whole pie from La fournée des sucreries at JTM (next to Wawel), but the free samples I've tasted have been wonderfully sinful. (I usually find it too troublesome to carry a pie around when I don't have wheels, so that's my excuse for not taking the plunge.) I believe they do indeed make a pecan pie.

Edited May 17, 2005 by Mr. Fagioli (log)

[phedre]

Afraid I can't help you out here, but I'll definitely be watching this one with interest! Pecan pie is one of my favourites. so decadent and warm and gooey good, with ice cream on top... *drool*

Hope your party goes well!

[Mayhaw Man]

You could just make them. They are really not that difficult to make.

Jaymes has a good recipe in RecipeGullet for a Bourbon Pecan Pie with some very good helpful hints in there, as well. There are also a couple of more recipes that look pretty good.

You can do this. It's not that big of a deal.

[carswell]

Au Pain Doré.

←

For all I know you may be right but, god, I hope not. Their PP is a pale imitation of the real thing.

You could just make them. They are really not that difficult to make.

<snip>

You can do this. It's not that big of a deal.

←

Even assuming that epicurious is, unlike me, not crustally challenged, the problem is the locally available pecans, invariably small, dessicated, stale and tasting more like tree bark than nuts.

[Mayhaw Man]

Au Pain Doré.

←

For all I know you may be right but, god, I hope not. Their PP is a pale imitation of the real thing.

You could just make them. They are really not that difficult to make.

<snip>

You can do this. It's not that big of a deal.

←

Even assuming that epicurious is, unlike me, not crustally challenged, the problem is the locally available pecans, invariably small, dessicated, stale and tasting more like tree bark than nuts.

←

You know, I did not even think of that. Bad pecans are bad things. I guess I just kind of take it for granted that everybody has tons of them around.

On the other hand, assuming that Homeland Security had no issues with pecans being shipped across the border, you could get them from Delta Pecan Company. It's a great business that grows and packs the pecans and is run by a very dynamic woman. Call her up and she might be able to help you out, if a "make it yourself" fit comes over you.

[Lesley C]

The APD sugar pie is quite good and really pecan pie if often just sugar pie with pecans. Maybe they add a bit of dark corn syrup or food colouring.

[Salomon]

I might be (a bit) out of line, but I recently had a piece of pecan pie which was caramelized at Jolifou. That was the highlight of the night, even for a guy who's not that big on sweets. Although the main courses was a bit of a dissappointment (the Jarret d'agneau was surprisingly not very tasty for a restaurant that his kind of south american), the pecan pie was one to remember! As was every single desserts I had there. Bonne chance,

Salomon

[MaeveH]

I just had the pecan pie last night at Jolifou, too! Very good indeed with a tooth-sticking, dark caramel aspect to it. I suspect it would be difficult to duplicate at home (well, for the pie-challenged like me, anyway).

[epicurious]

Thanks for all the input.

I'm sure a homemade version would be great but I'm trying to save some time here with all the crab cakes and gumbo I also have to do!! I will try the Au Pain Doré pie and will let you know how it turns out.

By the way, if someone is interested in the bourbon butter sauce, here's the recipe. It's divine with either pecan or pumpkin pie.

Whiskey Butter Sauce

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tablespoon very hot water

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup bourbon whiskey

Also, the best (and freshest) nuts are available at Akhavan in NDG. They have a great selection (about a dozen versions of each kind of nuts) and good prices as well. Their pecans are sweet and, well... nutty. Never been disappointed.

[maxanon]

so, how was the APD pie?

[epicurious]

Very good! And the price was right as well... $8.95 for a 9" pie that was more than an inch thick. The caramelized crust had a nice mahogany color. Very pretty!

There was this other place at MJT (La fournée des Sucreries) that had pecan pies but they were very thin, the crust was all damaged around (I like my food to look good as well as taste good) and it was about $14!!

[Kenk]

I'm getting a peacan pie from Au Pain Dore the next chance I get.

I love pecan pie.

I am going to give making a sweet potato pie another go soon. The last time I used bad nuts and it turned out like somebody used bad nuts.

[Mr. Fagioli]

There was this other place at MJT (La fournée des Sucreries) that had pecan pies but they were very thin, the crust was all damaged around (I like my food to look good as well as taste good) and it was about $14!!

←

I passed by there today. The pies are $11 and made with maple sugar, not corn or cane. As I said, I've only tasted a sample or two, but they were delicious. It's true that the crusts are not as beautiful as one might hope: on the pies available for sale today, they were unevenly formed around the edges and didn't fully cover the lip of the pie plate, but did not appear to be damaged/crumbling. Since I haven't tried the pie from APD, I'll leave it at that.