National Pie Day, celebrated annually on July 12th, is a Southern tradition The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa takes seriously! Head to one of two restaurants on property to find pecan pie served with Texas-love. At both Olivette and The Manor House, Pastry Chef Catherine Rodriguez dishes up pie with homemade buttery flaky crust, real maple syrup, bourbon, and Texas pecans with a side of house-made bourbon ice cream, pecan streusel, and creamy caramel sauce. The best part? Rodriguez shared her recipe with Visit Houston for all to enjoy.

Flaky Dough:

  • 12 oz all-purpose flour
  • 8 oz cold butter
  • 5 oz ice water
  • ¾ tsp salt

Method:

  1. Cut butter into flour and salt with paddle attachment.
  2. As soon as butter is cut into small pieces, the size of small peas, add water.
  3. Mix dough until it comes together. Do not over mix.
  4. Chill in refrigerator for 1½ hours.
  5. Roll dough out to 1/8” thickness.
  6. Form dough into 9” pie pan.
  7. Chill shell for 1 hour.
  8. Line pie shell with parchment and use pie weights to weight the shell down.
  9. Bake at 350° until golden brown. 

Pecan Pie Filling:  

  • 5 oz granulated sugar
  • 4 oz light brown sugar
  • 6 oz maple syrup
  • 6 oz corn syrup
  • 1 oz bourbon
  • 3 oz butter
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 1½ tsp vanilla
  • 5 eggs
  • 4 cups pecan halves

Method:

  1. Heat up sugar, maple syrup, bourbon, butter and salt stirring occasionally.  
  2. After butter has melted, boil for 1 minute.  
  3. Let mixture cool.
  4. Add vanilla and temper eggs with mixture.  
  5. Strain. 

Assemble:

  1. Place 4 cups of pecan halves at the bottom of tart shell.
  2. Fill pie filling to top of shell.  
  3. Bake at 325˚F until pie is set and slightly souffled.