Pecan Pie

Making a pie can be a daunting endeavor if you’ve never done it before. Personally I believe that once you master rolling out the crust, you’ve mastered making a pie. Obviously some pies are more labor intensive than others (namely cream pies because you have to stand over the stove and stir, stir, stir), but even the most labor intensive pies end up being worth the effort once you’re biting into that first forkful.

The thing I like about making a pecan pie is that it’s so simple. Really? The crust is the hardest part. This is the recipe for Dear Abby’s Famous Pecan Pie. I never knew such a recipe existed until my dad’s friend, Mrs. S, recommended it. We were going to try it over Thanksgiving but didn’t have the time to cook between me having to work and our pending move. That being said, Christmas seemed like the perfect day to try out the recipe.

The pie sat for just less than a day before we ate it. It was torture waiting that long to dive in, but somehow we managed. All I can say about this pie is … WOW. Amazing. There are no words to describe how delicious this pie is — especially when topped with vanilla bean ice-cream and caramel-whiskey sauce. I could eat this dessert every night. Both Dad and Sis thought it was amazing, too.

ingredients.

• 9-inch unbaked pie crust
• 1 c. light corn syrup
• 1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• ⅓ c. butter, melted
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 heaping c. pecan halves

directions.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, eggs, butter, salt and vanilla; mix well. Pour into unbaked pie crust; sprinkle with pecan halves.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is set. (Toothpick inserted in center will come out clean when pie is done.) If the crust or pie appears to be getting too brown, cover with foil for the remaining baking time. Cool.
4. You can top with a bit of whipped cream, but even plain, nothing tops this!

TIP: The original recipe stated that the pie should be baked 45 to 50 minutes in a preheated 350-degree gas oven. If an electric oven is used, it may be necessary to add 15 to 20 minutes to the baking time. (Begin testing the pie with a toothpick after 45 minutes.)

The above statement is completely accurate. At the 45-minute mark my pie was completely jiggly. I ended up baking it for at least an hour, if not an hour and five minutes.

Recipe rating: 