Whiskey-Ginger ‘All them Nuts’ Pie

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Whiskey-Ginger ‘All them Nuts’ Pie—Pecans are great, but ‘all the nuts’ are even better, especially when paired with a filling spiked with whiskey and fresh ginger.

Skip to Recipe | Good to Knows | Tidbits

Hi!

I love nuts. I've wanted to develop a pecan pie-like dessert that would be my take on something as classic as the beloved Thanksgiving must-have. I have always been inspired by my Gram and her “pecan pie”. She would use whatever nuts she had on hand—sometimes pecans, mainly walnuts, or whatever nuts my Papa didn’t eat out of the “fancy" mixed nuts tin that was a staple in their pantry—to make our family's favorite holiday pie.

When thinking about this recipe, I knew I wanted to include more of the flavors I love today. Lately I've been drawn to ginger, especially around the holidays. I find that it really brings in subtle notes of spice. Next: whiskey! I’m a whiskey-neat-in-the-winter, and whiskey-on-a-single-rock-in-the-summer kinda person. I knew that this pie, as with many pies that have this much sugar in the filling, needed a splash of acid. I personally think liquor is a great substitute for other acids, like lemon or vinegar.

This pie is very simple to assemble. You'll par-bake your pie crust, fill in the nut-custard mixture, and bake. It’s that easy!

If you do make this whiskey-ginger ‘all them nuts’ pie, and I hope you do, I'd love to share in that moment with you. Tag me on Instagram @foxandcrane and use my hashtag #foxandcrane so I may see your baking adventures.

xo -Jase

…Good to Knows…

Pie Dough
Practice, practice, practice is the key to achieving that perfect, flaky pie crust. Pie dough is very easy to make; simply knowing how to incorporate the butter into the flour, ensuring that you hydrate appropriately enough, but not too much, being mindful that the dough remains chilled at all times, followed up with some rolling techniques after it’s rested. The greatest advice I can give you is to order and read Erin Jeanne McDowells: The Book on Pie! This is not an #AD; I genuinely believe this book should be in your arsenal of baking supplies if you are looking to bake all things pie. 

Par-Baking
Par-baking is essential for obtaining that perfectly flaky, golden bottom. If you've never par-baked before, I've listed how-to instructions in the recipe method. Par-baking does call for pie weights. I use a blend of dried beans and rice; I find this a very inexpensive solution to buying ceramic pie weight, which is amazing to have on hand if you are baking pies often. You may par-bake your pie crust ahead of time, up to 24 hours before preparing to bake, and storing it at room temperature. For a great tutorial on par-baking, click here!

Toasty Nuts
Toasting the nuts prior to assembling the filling allows the nuts' rich nuttiness to shine, which will assist in the pies' overall depth of flavor. Toasting the nuts is very easy and takes no more than 8-15 mins. They may be toasted many days in advance and stored in an air-tight container. 

All them mixed Nuts
This recipe may be customized to suit your nut preferences. Mix and match the combinations and ratios of your favorite nuts to make this pie sing! I used cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, and pecan, of course!

Whiskey
Bourbon, Scotch, or Rye are all suitable whiskeys for this recipe. I tested with scotch for this recipe, as that's what I had on hand, and found the smoky notes to really come through. To bake this pie without liquor, replace the whiskey with 30ml (2 tbsp) apple cider vinegar or distilled white vintager. The alcohol provides a subtle acid that helps cut through and balance the sugars' sweetness, replacing it with vinegar to help achieve that same balance. The vinegar taste will be undetectable in the finished pie.

…Additional Tidbits… 

How will I know when the pie has finished baking?
Check for a jiggly center—If the outer edge isn't set and the center of the pie jiggles slightly, the pie isn't quite done. When the outer edge is set and the center has a slight jiggle, the pie is done. The center will look looser than you'd expect, but as the pie cools, the residual heat will continue to cook the filling sets as cools. 
Internal temperature—You can check to see when a nut pie is fulling baked is when the fillings internal temperature reaches of 185˚f / 85˚c.

Cooling the pie, “But I want some warm pie right away?”
Who doesn't love warm pie? A key element with nut pies like this is that they need to cool fully to set the filling properly. The cooling process serves as the final stage of cooking; as the pie cools, the residual heat finishes the cooking process. If you were to cut into the pie too soon, the filling would be very gooey, and the pie may not hold its structure/collapse. For best results, allow pie to cool at room temperature for 3-4 hours before slicing and serving. To archive that perfect warm pie, heat oven to 400˚f / 200˚c and place pie on center rack for 4-8 mins. Serve a la mode!

For a full list of recipes, check out the Recipe Index

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Whiskey-Ginger ‘All them Nuts’ Pie

…makes a single 9-inch pie…

Pie Dough
165g all purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated white sugar 
1 tsp salt 
113g (4oz, or one stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
120ml (1/2 cup) ice cold water
1/2 cup ice

Whiskey-Ginger Nut Filling
200g dark brown sugar
86g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
180ml oligo rice syrup 
3 large brown eggs, at room temperature
45ml bourbon, scotch or rye whiskey
2 tsp ground ginger, or 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
280g mixed nuts, toasted
1 tsp kosher salt

Optional Toppings
vanilla ice cream
whipped cream
crème anglaise
 

…METHOD…

Pie Dough
As always, weigh out, gather, and prepare all ingredients prior to mixing. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and set aside. In a small bowl, add water to ice, and set aside. If there is too much ambient warmth in your kitchen, keep liquids in the refrigerator. 

Pull out your very cold butter and cut into small chunks, cutting lengthwise, turning and cutting lengthwise again, then into approximately 8 pieces of 1/2 inch squares. I do this to make sure the butter squares are all uniform. That way, I know when it is all incorporated. 

Now, toss your butter into the large bowl with your prepared dry ingredients, and make sure the butter is evenly coated in flour. Then take the pieces and shingle them: this is the method of smashing the butter between your thumb and index finger to incorporate the flour into the butter. Continue until all is incorporated.

The mixture should feel like lightly wet sand with shingled bits/shards of butter throughout. 

Once the butter is fully incorporated into the flour and you have your desired texture, build a well in the center and add 4 tablespoons (or a 1/4 cup) of your water/apple cider vinegar mixture into the well. Mix with your hands, tossing from the bowl's outer edge and coming up and under the water and sifting it through. Build a well again and repeat, adding another 4 tablespoons (or a 1/4 cup). Your mixture should begin to look shaggy and feel like dough when you press the mixture into the side of the bowl. You may need to add 2-6 more tablespoons of the water/apple cider vinegar mixture until you have a moist, but not wet, shaggy dough mixture. Here is a video of Erin McDowell explaining pie dough that I reference often!

In the large bowl, mold the dough, just slightly, into the bowl's sides and roll onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form into a loose rectangle, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and press lightly into a rectangle. Place in refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours. 

After 1-2 hours, pull dough out of the refrigerator. Before removing the plastic wrap, press down with a rolling pin just a few times.

On a floured work surface, unwrap dough and roll out to an 8 x 10-inch rectangle. Fold from the long ends into a trim-fold (as if you're folding a letter). Roll out again to an 8 x 10-inch rectangle. Repeat two more times. Your dough should now be folded in half and placed back into the plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.     
 

…PAR-BAKING, FILLING and ASSEMBLY… 

Like a broken record, weigh out, gather and prepare all ingredients prior to assembly. 

Par-Baking
When it's time to par-bake your pie shell, preheat oven to 400˚f / 200˚c. Remove dough from refrigerator, and allow rest at room temp for approximately 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, roll dough onto rolling pin, and drape over the pie plate. Leave 1/2-inch over-hang, then trim the excess. Tuck the overhang under and press for your decorative crimp of choice. Place pie shell into the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 min.

Once the oven is at 400˚f / 200˚c, place a sheet of parchment paper (or aluminum foil) on the inside of the pie shell. Pour dried beans or pie weights onto the lining. Par-bake the pie shell for 20-25 minutes. Remove the lining and weights, and continue baking for another 8-12 minutes, until the pie shell is lightly golden and the bottom is no longer shiny and appears dry. Allow pie shell to cool before making the whiskey-ginger nut filling.

Toasting Nuts
preheat oven to 350˚f / 175˚c. Spread the nuts in an even layer on the baking sheet or baking dish. Place into oven and roast for 8-15 mins, stirring periodically to ensure the nuts toast evenly and to prevent burning. You will know they are done when the color is a few shades darker, and the aroma is fragrantly nutty. Remove from oven and allow too cool.

Filling and Assembly
When it's time to bake your pie, preheat oven to 350˚f / 175˚c. As the pie shell cools, in a large bowl, add sugar, rice syrup, melted butter, and whisk well. Whisky in eggs, one at a time, until combine. Add whiskey, ginger, and salt, whisk to combine. Set filling aside.

In the cooled pie shell, add the toasted nuts—reserving 1/4 cup of the toasted nuts for the top—followed by evenly pouring the filling mixture over the nuts. Top the filling with your reserved nuts. Place pie onto a baking sheet, and place into the oven, on the lower rack. Bake for approx. 40-50 mins, until the center of the pie has a jiggle, the outer edges of the filling are beginning to set, and the crust is a lovely golden brown. If the crust begins to darken before the filling is set, cover them with a pie shield or a ring of aluminum foil to prevent it from burning.

Remove pie from the oven and allow it to cool enough to where it has filling has set, before cutting it. This is best served warm, with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, however it’s equally as delish at room temperature—Enjoy! 

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