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This pecan pie recipe is easy to follow and results in a delicious, classic pecan pie that will have your friends and family begging for more. Loaded with a sweet, gooey filling and lots of pecans, it pairs well with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
What are you waiting for? Let’s get baking! Here’s how you can make your own pie that will impress anyone – whether they’re from the South or not!
Ingredients
To make this classic pecan pie recipe, you need the following ingredients:
eggs
sugar
Karo syrup (light corn syrup)
1 stick of butter, melted
pecan halves or pieces
unbaked pie shell
How To Make a Traditional Pecan Pie
There are two basic steps for making a pecan pie.
First, combine eggs, sugar, and corn syrup in a large mixing bowl. Stir in melted butter and then add pecans and mix thoroughly.
Second, pour the pecan pie filling into an uncooked pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.
Once the pie has cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
Tip
Place the unbaked pie on a rimmed baking sheet or a cookie sheet. It will make it much easier to put in and take out of the oven. A bonus is that it helps to catch any spillage.
FAQ
How do you tell if a pecan pie is done?
The pecan pie is done when the filling is set and only slightly jiggles when you shake the pan. If it makes a wave-like motion, then the pie needs to cook longer.
Do I need to refrigerate pecan pie?
Pecan pie does not need to be refrigerated, but can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you plan on storing it longer, it’s best to keep it in the fridge.
Can I freeze pecan pie?
Yes! Pecan pie can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap or place in a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the fridge.
The History of the Pecan Pie
Nobody knows for sure when or where the pecan pie was first created. It has been surmised that the humble pie first came to be in New Orleans by the French shortly after they settled in The Big Easy. Other thoughts are that they may have originated in the early 1800s in Alabama.
Regardless of where or when they came into being, you can enjoy them today thanks to this easy recipe by Anita Musgrove which is in her book,Tennessee Back Road Restaurant Recipes.
Pecan Pie
Loaded with a sweet, gooey filling and lots of pecans, this pie pairs well with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 40 minutesminutes
Total Time: 45 minutesminutes
Servings: 8slices
Calories: 534kcal
Author: Lynda – Southern Kissed
Ingredients
4eggs
1cupsugar
1cupwhite Karo syrup
½cupmelted butter
1 ½cupspecan pieces
1unbaked pie shell
Instructions
Combine eggs, sugar, and syrup. Stir in melted butter. Add pecans and mix thoroughly.
Pour into an uncooked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.
Notes
This recipe comes from Renate & Gary’s Restaurant in Big Sandy, Tennessee.It’s excerpted from Tennessee Back Road Restaurant recipes by Anita Musgrove, copyright 2015.Reprinted with permission.
Tennessee Back Road Restaurant Recipes by Anita Musgrovepulls double duty as both a cookbook and restaurant guide. The book is divided into three sections, each representing a region of Tennessee. Here are some of the tasty dishes you will find in the sections:
Western Region: Chocolate Gravy, Cat Head Biscuits, Skillet Peach Cobbler, Quiche Lorraine, Cheese Straw Twists, and BBQ Spaghetti
Central Region: Sydney’s Bluff Chicken, Chow Chow, Grits Cake, Square Market Crab Bisque, Amish Friendship Bread Muffins, and Barrel House Brunswick Stew
Eastern Region: Bourbon Street Pecan Pie, Banana Torte, Jalapeno Clam Bisque, Santa Fe Salsa, The Michael Allman Burger, Tomato Jam, and Plaid Apron’s Winter Stew
The author includes information about the various restaurants that have contributed recipes to the book, including the restaurants’ addresses, websites, and hours. It’s a great resource to have on hand for a road trip in Tennessee.
Look forTennessee Back Road Restaurant Recipesat your local bookstore or at Amazon.com.
If you like good old-fashioned southern recipes, be sure to check out my recipe for Chicken and Dumplings, Peppered Cornbread, and Southern Buttermilk Biscuits.
Light and dark corn syrup can be used interchangeably in almost every instance, with slight flavor variances. In a pecan pie, for example, light corn syrup will contribute sweetness and a hint of vanilla, but that's about it. Dark corn syrup, in addition to sweetness, will add color and a more robust, toasty flavor.
Pecan pie is a delightful concoction of pecan nuts mixed with a rich, caramelly filling made from eggs, butter, corn syrup, and sugar. The earliest pecan pie can be traced all the way back to the late 1800s, but it really peaked in the early 20th century when Karo™ syrup printed a pecan pie recipe on its bottles.
If your pecan pie is runny, simply bake it a bit longer, even up to 20 minutes. When the pie has been thoroughly baked, you'll be able to give it a gentle shake, and the middle will appear firm — if you've ever baked a pumpkin pie, it's the same concept.
A pecan pie is essentially a custard pie, and a liquid center is almost always the result of underbaking. The Karo Classic Pecan Pie recipe calls for baking the pie for 60 to 70 minutes at 350 degrees. In some ovens, however, the pie can take 75 minutes or more.
Maple syrup has a pretty specific flavor and it's a bit thinner in consistency than corn syrup, but you can still use an equal amount in most baked goods and sauces. At around 67 degrees Brix, it's slightly less sweet, but the rich flavor will carry it through, especially when subbing it in for dark corn syrup.
According to the USDA, homemade egg-rich pies, including pecan pie, must be refrigerated after cooking and cooling to prevent the growth of bacteria. They recommend chilling pies promptly, and as a general rule, not leaving food at room temperature for more than two hours.
You can leave a pecan pie out of the fridge for up to four hours—just be sure to refrigerate it after that. If you've just baked your pie, be sure to let it cool completely before refrigerating—this is also an important step for food safety, as you don't want to put a piping hot pie in the fridge.
Why is my pecan pie so hard? Chances are, you overcooked it. If you follow the baking time on this recipe, you won't run into hard pie. If your oven tends to cook quickly, you may want to check on it midway.
A soupy pecan pie filling can be fixed by covering the crust in foil and popping it back into the oven at around 325 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
Karo syrup is a popular brand of corn syrup, which is obtained from corn starch that is derived from maize. It is a concentrated solution of several sugars, such as glucose (dextrose), derived from corn starch. Because of various sugars, corn syrup has a naturally mild sweet taste.
The clear Karo corn syrup has been called "light" since the 1940s, before "light" became a popular description for reduced-calorie products. The term "light" in this case refers to the color, and not the number of calories. Many consumers refer to light corn syrup as "white" corn syrup.
Recipes will typically call for one or the other, but Karo® Light and Dark Corn Syrups can be used interchangeably. The main difference is flavor—light corn syrup will yield a delicate flavor, and dark corn syrup has a more robust flavor and deeper color since it has molasses.
Typically, light corn syrup is used when a delicately sweet flavor is desired, such as in fruit sauces and jams. Karo light corn syrup is made with real vanilla. Dark corn syrup is made with refiners' syrup, a type of molasses. With its more robust flavor and color, it is ideal for many baked goods.
If you use dark corn syrup instead of light corn syrup, the taste will be deeper and richer, and the color will be very clear like caramel. It's important to remember that you can usually use either light or dark corn syrup, but the baked goods may not taste or look exactly the way you wanted them to.
Again, if you use dark brown sugar, you will find a stronger flavor and the higher acidity will impact the rise, causing a higher rise or wider spread. That being said, if the recipe only calls for a small amount of brown sugar, it may not impact the final product.
All you need to do is add 1/4 cup of molasses to 3/4 cup of your light syrup. This helps the syrup keep the same consistency and gives it that robust flavor of dark syrup. No molasses? You could also dissolve brown sugar in water on the stovetop until it forms a syrup.
Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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