a warm and fuzzy recipe roundup
including my pecan pie!
Here are my official thanksgiving dessert recommendations:
From Baking by Feel
Pumpkin pie bars, pg. 171
Iced pumpkin bread, pg. 196
Apple crumb pie, pg. 71
Oat pie, pg. 232
Pecan & chocolate sandies, pg. 91
Pecan morning buns, pg. 174
Thick & chewy maple cookies, pg. 152
Black pepper snowballs, pg. 161
Buttermilk pie, pg. 199
White chocolate ginger biscotti, pg. 201
Ginger pudding pie, pg. 93
Almond cherry galette, pg. 223
Spiced french silk pie, pg. 22
Salted peanut butter pie, pg. 59
Walnut & fig shortbread, pg. 65
Butterscotch pudding pie, pg. 43
Coffee glazed cinnamon rolls, pg. 81
From the blog archives
a new recipe
Molasses Pecan Pie (it’s vintage)
for the crust
½ cup (1 stick, 113g) cold unsalted butter
3 tablespoons ice water
1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cold heavy cream
for the filling
2 cups (226g) pecan halves
1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter
½ cup light corn syrup or golden syrup
¼ cup molasses (not blackstrap)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground coriander (not cilantro)
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 large eggs
the how to: crust (part 1)
Cut your butter into ½” chunks. Place the butter chunks on a plate and pop the plate in the freezer to chill out for 5 minutes. Add some ice cubes and about ½ cup of water to a liquid measuring cup. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Using your fingertips, work the butter chunks into the flour mixture until sandy. But don’t overdo it! The largest pieces should be the size of black beans. Pour in the heavy cream and 3 tablespoons of ice water. Stir with a rubber spatula, then knead with your hands until it holds together. If the dough feels too dry, you can add some more ice water, a tablespoonful at a time, until it comes together.
Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or freeze for at least half an hour before using.
the how to: crust (part 2)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out your pie crust to an 11-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the excess under (it might take a couple of folds) so the edge of the crust lines up with the edge of the pie plate. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Freeze it for 30 minutes.
Place a piece of parchment paper inside the pie crust and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pie weights and set the crust aside on a wire rack to cool while you make your filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
the how to: filling & assembly
Spread the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, tossing the nuts around every couple of minutes to make sure everything toasts evenly. Set aside for later.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, butter, light corn syrup, molasses, spices, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, for two minutes. Pour the mixture into a large heat proof bowl. Stir in the pecans, vanilla, and cider vinegar with a rubber spatula. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes, then whisk in the eggs one at a time.
Transfer your parbaked pie crust back to the rimmed baking sheet and pour in the filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until the filling looks puffy with a little jiggle in the center. Let cool on a wire rack.
becca, where can i hear your voice this week?
I was a guest on two incredible podcasts, I hope you take a listen!
Reimagining Love w/ Dr. Alexandra Soloman - we discuss the sweetness of self-care.
Feminist Book Club w/ Renee Powers and Jeney Christensen - we discuss baking as an outlet to process emotions (including feminist rage), how baking can be subversive, and how working in the kitchen can help us accept our imperfections.
sunday secrets from the cutting room floor
“I’m dating someone my friends wouldn’t approve of.”
“Both SILs are pregnant rn. I’m jealous that I’m not.”
“My partner called me the love of his life. I’m trying to play it cool but I’m desperately in love.”
“I got herpes from making out with my best friend”
“The trauma from my son’s delivery makes it hard to celebrate his birthday with joy”
“I’m tired of being the person who does all the planning and logistics for things”
“I feel awkward about a friend being hot and cold, it gives me the feeling that I am doing something wrong.”
“My bf cheated on me six months ago and I took him back and now I’m cheating on him.”
“Trying to gentle parent my kids when I had a strict upbringing is really hard"
“I don’t want kids, I just want to give my cats a good life”
weekly abortion affirmation
You are not obligated to be pregnant, ever.
baking tip of the week
Take your pumpkin and pecan pies out of the oven while they still have a little jiggle in the center. The filling will set fully while cooling on the rack.
my current fave pic of Otie
some notable (and less notable) things
Holiday merch is dropping for preorder this Saturday 11/26! You’ll get an email when it’s live.
But if you want to get started on shopping early, allow me to remind you that Baking by Feel makes an excellent gift!
Last week a judge ruled that Georgia’s six-week abortion ban is unconstitutional (yay!). A huge thank you to SisterSong (a Southern based, national membership organization whose purpose is to build an effective network of individuals and organizations to improve institutional policies and systems that impact the reproductive lives of marginalized communities) who filed the lawsuit.
I baked at altitude this week, and can report that the gooey butter bar recipe works at 9,953 ft.
I was influenced by TikTok to try diamond painting and I love it (the satisfying sounds!!)
If you ever find yourself in Colorado, I 10/10 recommend Cottonwood Hot Springs.
xoxo,
your favorite becca
help! where can I buy maple extract in bulk? I used the little 2 oz bottle I got for the maple cookies so quickly, but I can't stop making them - and there's got to be more than 2 oz of maple extract to satisfy me!! :)