Monday, January 19, 2009

Pecan Pie - Any way You Like It

My Dad enjoyed baking and eating pecan pie. His pecan pie received rave reviews from anyone who sampled his confection. The only problem was, my Dad would not give us his recipe. Well guess what I finessed the recipe from my Mom. Not really finessed...she left it at my house.


My husband loves my Dad's pecan pie. My Dad would bring a pecan pie to my house for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. A.J. collected the pie at the front door from my Dad like a bouncer collecting a cover charge at a nightclub. Just kidding.


Since my Dad died, my Mom has been making the pie and since my Mom has been with us the past three years for Thanksgiving and Christmas, she has brought the recipe with her to make at my house. The funny thing is, the recipe comes from the River Roads Recipes cookbook.

I've been toying around with pecan pie, since it doesn't go bad at our house. I'll give you the recipe straight from River Roads and some variations we have found to be very interesting and tasty!

Pecan Pie:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoons butter (slightly soft)1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup corn syrup (light) - variation 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/2 cup molasses
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans halves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cream butter and brown sugar, add corn syrup and eggs (one at a time). Mix until frothy. Fold in vanilla, salt and pecans. Pour into a 9-inch pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Start watching the pie after thirty minutes and check it every 10 minutes to make sure the pie does not bubble over the pie shell.

Variations:

Pecan Pie Tarts

3 extra large eggs
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup corn syrup, dark or light
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Prepare using same methods as above. Create your own, or purchase packaged tart shells. Yield: 16 tarts.

Bourbon Pecan Pie Add one tablespoon bourbon whiskey to the filling before baking.



Chocolate Pecan Pie - After prebaking the pie or tart shells, sprinkle them with chocolate pieces. Then pour in pie filling.


Cream Cheese Pecan Pie - Soften eight ounces cream cheese. Mix with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and one egg or liquid-egg substitute. Spread over pie or tart shell, and pour in filling.

Almond Pie - Substitute sliced or slivered almonds for pecans. Use almond extract instead of vanilla.















Use some of those pecans and enjoy some pie!

26 comments:

  1. Yum, yum, yum! I don't like fruit pies or really, most other pies, but Pecan is my favorite. I saw that picture and my stomach actually growled. Of course, after working 12 hours I am starving, but still-YUM! I'll have to check out the recipe when I get home and can print it off :*)

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  2. Pecan pie has always been a favorite! I love the different veriations you've tried. That's funny also that it came right from the very recipe book sitting on your shelf. Smart Dad of yours :)

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  3. Southern cooking at it's best, no dinner in the South is complete without a pecan pie.Isn't River Road a great cookbook ? Good luck on finding the Greg Iles books, you will love them.
    Blood Memory is set parcially in
    New Orleans !

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  4. Look at all those variations! I have never attempted to make my own pecan pie, it is my husband's FAVE! Am bookmarking this for the future!

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  5. Oh delish! I'm catching up on all your beautiful meals. My kids would love some pizza for dinner too. Congrats on a first year of blogging. Thanks for getting that Pecan Pie recipe for all of us!

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  6. Love the variations. Nice memory to have of your dad.

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  7. I love pecan pie, the only thing I don't like is the amount of sugar and the calories that come with it. But your pie looks so good!

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  8. I love that you posted all the different variations for pecan pie! Bourbon pecan pie is our absolute favorite!

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  9. Oh Katherine, this is my son's favorite pie. Looks delicious.
    Cheers,
    Elra

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  10. This is my favorite pie! Sadly I don't have a recipe for it, until now!!! Thanks for sharing, it looks really yummy!

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  11. This pie looks really delicious. I've never made pecan pie - this recipe makes me want to try.

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  12. I believe that is the same recipe that I use and everyone raves about my pecan pie. It never lasts long around my house.

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  13. I'm a NY Girl, Moved to GA 11 years ago, but Pecan Pie has Always been my favorite. I CRAVED it when I was pregnant with my daughter 22 years ago. (I only gained 12 lbs.) hahah
    This looks so delish!
    Oh and I do NOT like fruit pies either. I think it's a texture thing!
    Leslie
    LeslieVeg@msn.com

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  14. My SIL ate two whole PECAN Pies in one weekend. Yeah I wanted to kick her butt.

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  15. My #1 favorite pie in the world, yours looks delicious and what a nice tradition!

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  16. I love pecan pie...I will go with the chocolate version. Thanks for sharing it!!!

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  17. I love pecan pie, but have never made one. I do mean to try it one of these days...honest! Now I'm hungry, looking at your picture!

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  18. This is one of my favourite pies! Have been wanting to make one for some time now. Thanks!

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  19. Let's talk about Buttermilk pie. The kind with no crust and made with Bisquick. yeah I know I'm a redneck. But I'm telling you right now I can eat a whole one in one sitting.

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  20. Yummmm! My favorite!
    I found that Aussies LOVE pecan pie, so I'm constantly baking them for get-togethers and barbeques! :o)

    Another nice variation is using walnuts for the pie itself and just decorating the top with pecans.

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  21. (Falls over in dead faint, twitching with pure joy. Drool trickles out of mouth.)

    Sweet wounded wuffles.

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  22. In general, I'm not really a pie person, but I do love pecan pie. This looks delicious, love all the variations.

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  23. Katherine, it's one of my faves, so easy yet I don't know why I haven't made it!

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  24. I love that you posted the variations. Hmm. How can I make them all?

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  25. My husband is a big pecan pie lover... will have to try one for him.

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  26. wow, I've never heard of a pecan pie recipe that doesn't require melted butter. I will have to try this one day.

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Thanks for stopping by, I enjoy reading your comments.

Katherine