In order to prove that pecans are the hardest working nut in holiday feasts, the American Pecan Council set out to create a pie that features the seasonal ingredient in every major dish.
The council enlisted the help of acclaimed Brooklyn, New York pie bakery Four & Twenty Blackbirds to make a complete meal in one pie. The bakery’s founders and owners, Emily and Melissa Elsen, have introduced the Pecan ThanksEverything Pie, featuring eight slices that each represent a different holiday dish starring pecans.
The dishes represented include:
- Cranberry Sauce with Toasted Pecans
- Roasted Veggies and Potato Mash with Chopped Pecans
- Squash, Pecan, and Sausage Stuffing
- Mac and Cheese with Pecan Breadcrumbs
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Pecans
- Green Bean Casserole with Sliced Pecans
- Turkey Pot Pie with Pecan Crust
- Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie
“When American Pecans approached us with this ambitious challenge, we weren’t sure it could be done,” says Emily Elsen. “But the more we dove into it, the more we realized we’d be hard pressed to find a more versatile, signature ingredient to incorporate into all of the dishes. If you’re making a pecan pie this season – and we hope you are! – snag an extra bag of pecans to elevate the rest of your feast and really make your tried-and-true favorites pop.”
The American Pecan Council chose the Elsen sisters for this holiday kitchen challenge, as they are pie enthusiasts who grew up in a Midwest farming family.
“We like to support American farms and feel good knowing that when we use American Pecans, we’re not only getting a superior product, but also supporting growers and shellers – many who have small family businesses, just like ours,” says Melissa Elsen.
For one day only on Friday, November 15, Four & Twenty Blackbirds will sell a limited number of Pecan ThanksEverything Pies at its flagship location in Brooklyn. The pies will be available for $42 each while supplies last, and 50 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Community Help in Park Slope, Inc. (CHiPS), a local nonprofit soup kitchen and women’s shelter.
