Auntie Glenna always used to make pecan pie for Thanksgiving, and always got rave reviews. But in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, my Mom always made SO many pies – apple, pumpkin, blueberry, mince (her rule of thumb was \”one pie per person\”) – that I never got around to appreciating Glenna\’s contribution. Until she and Mom were both gone.
Thanksgiving in its current form provides a much smaller audience, but a few years back someone lamented that nobody made pecan pie any more. I stepped forward, and true to form, I asked my wife for help. She told me to use the recipe on the Karo syrup bottle. \”That\’s what Glenna used.\”
It\’s simplicity itself. I even use the pre-made crusts, so it\’s even easier (though this past Thanksgiving I made a crust of my own just to show that I could, and it turned out pretty well.)
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Prepare the crust according to package directions. Try to make it pretty. Neatness does count.
Melt 3T of butter (15 seconds in the microwave – not 30. Don\’t ask)
Combine:
- 3 eggs – beaten lightly
- 1 C sugar
- 1 C Karo syrup (I\’ve used light and dark with equal success)
- 1 t vanilla extract
- the butter
Just mix it nice and thoroughly.
Add 1 1/2 C ( 6 Oz) of pecans. I usually go kind of overboard here (I\’m not trying to make a profit). I\’m just saying that if you \”accidentally\” put in 12 Oz of nuts, the universe won\’t collapse…
Pour it all into the pie shell.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. If you press lightly in the center of the pie and it springs back, the pie is done.
