Recipe Index

Serving count not stated for this recipe, so quantities are shown as written.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups finely ground pecans
• ⅔ cup sugar, divided
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1½ tablespoons gelatin
• 3 tablespoons brandy
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup scalded milk, plus ⅓ cup cold milk
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1¾ cups heavy cream, ¾ cup lightly whipped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sifted confectioners’ sugar
• Semisweet chocolate, shaved (for serving)

Method

1. Blend the finely ground pecans with ⅓ cup of the sugar and the melted butter, press that mixture firmly into a 9½-inch pie plate to form a shell, and chill the pecan crust for 30 minutes.
2. Bake the chilled shell in a 375°F oven for 15 minutes, until lightly browned, and cool it completely.
3. Sprinkle the gelatin over the ⅓ cup of cold milk in a small bowl and leave it for 10 minutes to soften.
4. Beat the egg yolks with the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar until they ribbon off the beater, then stream in the scalded milk while stirring.
5. Cook that yolk mixture in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon, without letting it boil.
6. Take the custard off the heat and stir in the softened gelatin, the brandy, ¼ cup of the dark rum and the vanilla, then set its bowl over a larger bowl of ice and stir it occasionally as it cools, without letting it set.
7. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks in a large bowl, fold in the ¾ cup of lightly whipped cream, and fold that mixture into the cooled custard.
8. Fill the pecan shell with the eggnog filling and chill the pie for about 20 minutes, until the filling has set.
9. Whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar and the last tablespoon of dark rum, spread that rum cream over the pie in a slight mound, and pipe a reserved portion decoratively around its edge.
10. Scatter shaved semisweet chocolate over the cream, chill the eggnog pie again, and bring it out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before it is served.

Total: 2 hours

Nutrition not computed — no serving count in the source recipe (per-serving values cannot be derived without one).