“Pie” is trending in the U.S., sparking a renewed interest in a very classic dessert that runs the gamut from fruit to cream to nuts. I mean, who doesn’t have their favorite variety of pie, whether it be apple, coconut cream, or pecan? There’s only one problem: the crust.
I don’t know about you, but pie crust and I don’t see eye-to-eye. I’ve never been able to make that melt-in-your-mouth, flaky bit of heaven that my grandmother whipped up with no recipe and no effort (it seemed). So, because of this daunting culinary expertise, I’ve been unable to master, I rely on a graham cracker or pecan crusts, the type you grind up, mix with a little butter and press into a pie plate. It’s easy to do and to top-it-off, it tastes good!
It was the Pilgrims who brought pie to the American colonies in the early 1600s, but it was the Mexica who introduced pie to Mexico, not the sophisticated version of pie as we know it, but dough-filled concoctions, stuffed with various ingredients, which they made into dishes like tamales. It’s the concept that counts.
The Europeans, especially the French, introduced the fine art of pastry making to the Mexicans which culminated in the Pastry War (1838-1839). The squirmish involved a French pastry cook, Monsieur Remontel, who owned a bakery near Mexico City. The shop was damaged by some rowdy Mexican army officers and Remontel demanded restitution, but the Mexican government refused to pay. The incident escalated as more and more French nationals became involved, with the French government demanding that Mexico pay 600,000 pesos in damages. War broke out and France won. They got their money and withdrew their forces, but the French had made their mark on Mexican pastry.
So, let’s combine multiple cultures to make a succulent pecan pie cobbler (easier to make than pie but with the same taste and succulent flavor) with a Mexican twist. We have France to thank for pastry making, the U.S. to credit with pecan pie, and the Mexicans for their wonderful spices, chocolate and agave… what a combo!
Disfruta!
Pecan pie cobbler, Mexican style, with tequila (or cinnamon) whipped cream:
Ingredients:
For the Crust:
- 1 ¼ Cups (155 g) all-purpose flour
- Mexican brands closest to American all-purpose: Espuma de Chapala; Selecta All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ Cup (150 g) granulated sugar (azúcar estándar)
- 2 tsp. (10 g) baking powder (polvo de hornear)
- ½ tsp. (3 g) salt (sal)
- ⅔ Cup (158 ml) milk (leche entera)
- 1 tsp. (4.2 g) vanilla extract* (extracto de vainilla)
- Mexican brands noted for their intense flavor: Villa Vainilla; Vainilla Totonac’s; Molina Vainilla
For the Filling:
- 2 Cups (228 g) chopped pecans (nueces pecanas)
- 1 disk of Mexican chocolate (Ibarra), finely chopped, about 3 oz. (chocolate)
- 2 TBS. (44 g) agave syrup (jarabe de agave)
- 1 tsp. (2.6 g) ground cinnamon (canela molida)
- ¼ tsp. (0.7 g) cayenne pepper (pimienta de cayena)
- 1 Cup (200 g) packed brown sugar (azúcar moreno)
- 1 ½ Cups (355 ml) boiling water (agua)
For the Baking Dish:
- 6 TBS. (91 g) unsalted butter (sliced into pieces) (mantequilla sin sal)
Instructions:
First: Make Flour Mixture:
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Whisk in milk and vanilla extract, making a batter.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Next:
- Place butter in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Place the dish in the oven so the butter melts while the oven is heating.
- Once butter is melted, carefully remove the pan from the oven.
- Drop spoonfuls of the batter (cobbler) evenly over the melted butter.
Next:
- To the boiling water add brown sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Add chopped Mexican chocolate, agave syrup, cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
- Stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is well combined.
- Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top of the cobbler.
- Carefully pour boiling water mixture evenly over the top of the cobbler.
Next:
- Put the cobbler in the oven and bake until it’s golden brown all over, about 25-35 minutes.
Before Serving:
- Cool slightly.
- Then: Serve hot, warm, or room temperature, with cinnamon- or tequila- whipped cream, or ice cream.
Tequila whipped cream:
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream (crema para batir)
- ¼ Cup (60 ml) powdered sugar (azúcar glasé)
- 1 ½ TBS. (22 ml) tequila (don’t use more!)
Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a bowl and whip with an electric hand-mixer until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to serve!
Cinnamon Whipped Cream: Substitute 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon for tequila.
Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream, bridal-reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter on Facebook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” via CakeChatter (available @amazon.com). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals.
