My dad has been known to steal an entire pecan pie while it is cooling and hide it in his nightstand. However, when required, the family joins forces to sleuth out the location of any and all missing pecan pies, and ceremoniously return them to the family table where they belong. Since we only make this dessert in November and December, we take our annual pecan pie feast seriously.
A Texas Favorite
Purchase store bought pecan pies so we have more on the table? Pshaw. We only eat homemade pecan pies in my family. My grandmother learned how to make pecan pies from her mother, and my mother still makes it using the same recipe. Even though there are new-fangled, modern recipes with chocolate bottom crusts, whiskey maple flavor or coconut sprinkles, at the ranch we only make the same classic recipe every year. Perfection just can’t be improved.
The Secret Ingredient
The recipe that we traditionally use is based on an old Karo Syrup recipe that requires heating dark corn syrup, sugar and tempering the eggs before adding the filling to the crust. Most pecan pie recipes today are simpler and don’t require a candy thermometer. But the deeply caramelized filling and buttery vanilla scent sets this recipe for old-fashioned pie apart from the rest. The delectable aroma enveloping the kitchen is what the family will remember forever. A store-bought pie just can’t do that.
Look for large, luxurious Texas pecan halves at your local farmer’s market. The bigger, the better. Buy an extra bag and keep them in the freezer for your next gathering that requires a pecan pie. It’s always good to have all the ingredients on hand for making a pecan pie, especially in the event that your freshly made pecan pie goes missing from the family table.
Classic Texas Pecan Pie
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: U.S.
Ingredients
Single pie crust for 9” (22cm) pie, uncooked
½ cup sugar (100g)
1 cup dark corn syrup (240ml)
3 large eggs
4 tbsp. melted butter (62g)
1 tsp. vanilla (5ml)
1 ½ cups whole pecans (150g)
Instructions
Heat oven to 450°F (232°C). Roll out uncooked pie crust, line pie plate and set aside. In a 2 qt. (2lt) saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Heat and stir until thickened and the temperature measures 228°F (109°C) on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and set aside.
Add the eggs to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on a medium speed until lemon colored. Lower the speed to slow, then slowly pour the hot syrup mixture into the eggs by trickling the syrup down the inside surface of the bowl. Once they are well combined, add the butter and vanilla. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the pecans.
Pour the contents of the bowl into the prepared pie crust. Place the uncooked pie in the oven, bake for 10 minutes, and then lower the oven temperature to 300°F (148°C) and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
Serves 8
Muchas gracias for the love!! xo MG