The Baking Bible: Mud Turtle Pie
This is one of the recipes I tested as a Beta Baker, and back then I called this pie "a pecan pie with chocolate frosting." This version of the Mud Turtle Pie lives up to its name: it is caramelly, nutty, and richly chocolaty.
I don't actually know if this, the final recipe, is any different than the recipe I tested. I'm too tired to go out into the garage and look. However I can say for sure that the filling is a bit looser than my test pie which really evokes the caramelly center of a turtle candy, Rose's inspiration for this pie. Using Lyle's Golden Syrup instead of corn syrup and light muscovado instead of brown sugar really really help move the filling toward caramel, and will forever and always be my first choices for a pecan pie of any sort.
The pie itself is a thin layer of nuts and goo, with a rich ganache topper. Rose blends dark and white chocolate to create a ganache she calls her "milk chocolate ganache," but this is anything but milk chocolate. Adding good quality white chocolate mellows out the dark chocolate bitterness without throwing in too much sugar, so the ganache does taste a bit like milk chocolate. It works.
There's instructions to make a cute little ganache turtle to decorate the top of the pie, but I didn't want to take any more time on the making of this pie. I try to involve the 19 month old as much as possible but until he can stand on a stool without me worrying that he'll fall off backwards there isn't that much he can do. So I don't like to spend too much time on baking projects that take away my time with him. I did let him turn on the food processor when making the dough and he LOVED it. Now the food processor base and bowl sit on his play table and he runs over to it and says, "processor!" Then he touches a button and says, "on" and sometimes he'll follow that up with "process!" Then he might make a whirring noise and then the play starts over again. It's really very cute.
He hasn't had any of the pie, but I let him eat my crust which he loves. Mark and I are enjoying this pie very much. I'll admit I ate two slices yesterday. It's just that good.
I don't actually know if this, the final recipe, is any different than the recipe I tested. I'm too tired to go out into the garage and look. However I can say for sure that the filling is a bit looser than my test pie which really evokes the caramelly center of a turtle candy, Rose's inspiration for this pie. Using Lyle's Golden Syrup instead of corn syrup and light muscovado instead of brown sugar really really help move the filling toward caramel, and will forever and always be my first choices for a pecan pie of any sort.
The pie itself is a thin layer of nuts and goo, with a rich ganache topper. Rose blends dark and white chocolate to create a ganache she calls her "milk chocolate ganache," but this is anything but milk chocolate. Adding good quality white chocolate mellows out the dark chocolate bitterness without throwing in too much sugar, so the ganache does taste a bit like milk chocolate. It works.
There's instructions to make a cute little ganache turtle to decorate the top of the pie, but I didn't want to take any more time on the making of this pie. I try to involve the 19 month old as much as possible but until he can stand on a stool without me worrying that he'll fall off backwards there isn't that much he can do. So I don't like to spend too much time on baking projects that take away my time with him. I did let him turn on the food processor when making the dough and he LOVED it. Now the food processor base and bowl sit on his play table and he runs over to it and says, "processor!" Then he touches a button and says, "on" and sometimes he'll follow that up with "process!" Then he might make a whirring noise and then the play starts over again. It's really very cute.
He hasn't had any of the pie, but I let him eat my crust which he loves. Mark and I are enjoying this pie very much. I'll admit I ate two slices yesterday. It's just that good.
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| goo close up. |
love that oozing caramel and your little boy sounds absolutely adorable!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know this pie was inspired from a turtle candy; don't know how I missed that. I was going to buy one of those candies as a topper but thought I might be silly! One of my favorite candies ever. Your pictures are just so amazing. Every post they are more and more professional looking. Wish I lived in Oregon, I would give you the baking tower we bought for the granddaughters because my nerves couldn't take any more chair standing while helping to bake. It's this one: http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Adjustable-Height-Kitchen-Natural/dp/B001ECHXVC
ReplyDeleteYour pictures make this pie look absolutely marvelous and I can't wait to get to it on Sunday! Your helper sounds so much fun! [I know, it is stressful to have to be on such guard though];
ReplyDeleteSmall children are so much fun (and tiring!). Love the oozy pie photo too.
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