Pecan Pie

I love love love pecan pie during the holidays.  This pecan pie is definitely a family favorite.  The recipe I use was the recipe used by my Great Aunt Irene.  Since I first made this pie four years ago, I have gotten so many requests to prepare it again.  It has become one of my standard holiday assignment dishes.

There is nothing like a pecan pie.  It is flaky, crunchy, ooey, gooey, smooth, sweet, warm, sticky, and crisp all at once.  Just as much as eating a delicious pie though, I absolutely love the way the house smells when you are baking one of these sweet treats.  It really doesn't seem like the holiday season until you smell a pecan pie baking away in the oven.  The house smells heavenly and honey sweet.  I usually have to make two...one to take to our family function and one for my family to devour before we can ever get out the door!

Here is what you need:
1 frozen 9" pie crust (yes, I cheat!)
1 cup white Karo syrup
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pecans
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

All you do...really...is mix everthing together and put it in the pie shell.  Then bake at 300 for one hour and 20 minutes or until golden brown and the middle is set.

Here are a few notes on the ingredients.  If you want, you could also use dark Karo and light brown sugar, but I like to keep them opposites.  I use pecan halves for mine because it turns out pretty, but my mom chops hers to make it easier to cut.  Whatever your personal preference, your pie will be fantastic.  If you LOVE vanilla, amp it up a bit.  If you are like me and don't so much love vanilla...you could cut it back to a half tsp like I do for our in house pie.  For the pie shell, I have used frozen...I have used the precooked ones...I have used the frozen roll up ones in my own pie plate...and yes...I have even attempted making my own pie crust.  The pre-formed, frozen ones honestly do the best in my experience.  They get flaky, but don't burn on the edges as pies often do.

As far as the preparation goes, I start with my eggs in the bowl so that I can lightly beat them and then add the other ingredients....but that is just so that I don't have to wash another bowl.  That is just a tip from one tired dish washer to another though.  Everything else is exactly as easy as it sounds.

I hope you and your family enjoy this pie as much as my family does.  If you try it or have your own recipe for pecan pie let me know!  I love hearing from you. Stay tuned through the holidays and you will get the naughty version.  ;)