Pecan Pie*

We . LIKED . this . PECAN . PIE

Before yesterday, I had made only ONE pecan pie in my entire life and thought it was just too much of "something(?) I didn't care for"-- so, ... I gave up the idea of making any more.   Things are a changin'-- I will be making pecan pies in the future!  Why?

It is all because my free Fall 2013 issue of Living The Country Life came in Saturday's mail with this recipe in it.  After reading the description preceding the simple recipe, I knew I had to give this "fast 'n easy" recipe a go for our family gathering yesterday afternoon.  In fact, I made TWO of these!   I'm so happy I did.  Three trusted "food judges" asked for the recipe before going home--  so, here it is for anyone else who wants it:

Above:  With my sister having cut each pie into eight pieces, this is what was left of the second pie.   Usually, I'd take a picture of the WHOLE pie (yes,...the UNcut pie) when it's hot from the oven.  Not this time, though, because...  when my two pies came out of the oven, it was time to hurry off to church.  Then, when we got home, I didn't take a picture of 'em because there were finishing touches to be put on our dinner meal.  (Along with how I was raised right here on this same farm, we still eat "dinner" at noon...and "supper" in the evening.  Not that it's any kind of a bad thing, but,...to me, "lunch" seems so very city-like.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 single unbaked pastry shell (pie crust) for 9" pie plate.  Can be homemade, or store bought

.................................

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark corn syrup -- I used Karo brand, with 0% (ZERO %!) high fructose corn syrup in it.
• 3 large eggs
• 1 and 1/4 cups broken pecans (Fleet Farm usually has the "best price" for these, unless another store is running a sale on them.)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla.

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425-degrees.  

1. Cream the butter. 
2. Add the sugar and corn syrup and stir all to combine.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.   Mix everything well.
4. Add the pecans and vanilla.  Stir to blend in.
5. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch unbaked pastry shell.
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 425-degrees, then reduce the heat to 325-degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.  Enjoy!  (Since only you know your own oven and any "quirks" it might have, bake accordingly.)

(????) I did NOT try this "different way" of baking this kind of pie, but,... one pecan pie baker said he bakes his pecan pies at 350-degrees for 15 minutes, and then at 300-degrees for another 50-55 minutes, taking them out of the oven when their internal temperature reaches 200-degrees.  (????)

Personally, I think THIS recipe is BETTER than the one used to make the regular  "Karo Syrup - Classic Pecan Pie" because it has 2 extra tablespoons butter in it, and calls for 1/2 cup LESS white sugar.  (I do not need nor want a piece of pie so sweet that it practically CURLS my teeth!)

*Betsy Freese, the editor of Living the Country Life, Fall 2013, wrote this about the above pie recipe:   "Mom placed two of her pecan pies on the kitchen table to cool when I was visiting last fall.  I was not allowed to touch them, as they were for a church fund-raiser.  They sold for $30 each!  Money well spent.  Here is her recipe."  She then added, next to a picture of the two pies, "My mother, Ruth Ann Johnson of Elkton, Maryland, makes the best pecan pies in all the land."   As of yesterday, I'll second that!!!!

As is so usual, I often do a google search to find out more about people who are an inspiration in one way or another.  In doing so, I found that Betsy's mother Ruth Ann just celebrated her 53rd wedding anniversary with her hubby Phil.  http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/blogs/betsys-backyard/2013/09/10/farmer-and-his-wife/

Or, if you want to read even more about Betsy and what she and her family spend time with/on, go here:
http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/blogs/betsys-backyard/  In particular, one of her husband's sayings grabbed my attention:  "The family that HAYS together, STAYS together!"  (Our own family has sure put that to the test!!!  And, ...a cleaned-off  hayfield along with a barnful of hay bales is a most beautiful sight to behold.)  Also, on her web blog, I saw her "different" kind of recipe for making pickled beets.  I may have to give THAT recipe a try next time "beet season" comes around.