KEN HAEDRICH PIE RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar (if using), and salt in a large bowl; refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Add the shortening to the dry ingredients and toss it with your hands to coat, then break it up into smaller pieces. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the pieces of fat are roughly the size of small peas and everything looks like it has been touched by the fat. There should be no dry, floury areas.
• Mound the ingredients in the center of the bowl. Drizzle about half of the water down the sides of the bowl, turning the bowl as you pour so the water doesn’t end up in one spot. Using a large fork, lightly mix the dough, tossing it from the perimeter toward the center of the bowl. Drizzle most of the remaining water here and there over the dough and toss again.
• Mix the dough vigorously now. The dough should start to gather in large clumps, but if it is dry in places, stir in the rest of the water.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pack it into a ball, then knead it several times to smooth it out. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a ¾-inch-thick disk. Wrap the disk and refrigerate for about 1 hour before rolling.

Steps:

• Prepare and refrigerate the pie dough. Roll the dough into a 12½- to 13-inch circle and line a 9- to 9½-inch deep-dish pie pan with it, shaping the edge into an upstanding ridge. Flute or crimp the edge, then refrigerate the shell until needed.
• Whisk the egg whites, sugars, and vanilla in a bowl until evenly mixed. Add the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, pecans, and salt. Stir briefly, then add the butter and stir just until the filling is evenly mixed. Don’t overmix.
• Turn the filling into the pie shell and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon. Bake on the center oven rack for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is crusty and has risen, rotating the pie midway through the baking. It’s fine if the pie develops cracks here and there.
• Transfer the pie to a rack and cool for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnishing slices lavishly with vanilla or butter pecan ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, if desired. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.
• Chop the nuts by hand, not in the food processor, for the best texture. (The food processor can make them too fine if you’re not careful.)
• Don’t overmix the filling. The more you work it, the stiffer and less spreadable the filling becomes.
• You’ll have a lot of egg yolks left over with this pie. Consider making crème brûlée or custard with them.