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How to Make Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie

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This easy, southern, homemade, Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie Recipe is just like my mom, the best pie maker I ever knew, used to make. She taught me a secret ingredient, and I’ll share it with you!

Old Fashioned Pecan Pie

I arrange my pecan halves because I like the way they look. But you don’t have to!

I love pie. I especially love Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie. 

Have you SEEN how many pie recipes I have on this blog??? It should be OBVIOUS how much I love pie. I adore pie.

I make this old-fashioned pecan pie every year at Thanksgiving. My mother did that, too, but she made it even more often even than that. I was thin when I was young, so that worked out just fine for me. When I was young, this was my second favorite pie, right after cherry pie. Well, maybe third favorite. Don’t forget apple pie.

The lightest, fluffiest pumpkin pie you'll ever have, perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas! #easy #homemade #fromscratch #pumpkin #pumpkinpie

My two Thanksgiving pies: Fluffiest Pumpkin Pie, and Old Fashioned Pecan Pie.

The Secret Ingredient in My Pecan Pie

Anyway, here’s the recipe that I use for pecan pie every Thanksgiving. It’s from Southern Living, but I have changed it slightly, in order to make it the way my Momma did. Instead of just light corn syrup, I use half light, and half dark Karo syrup. The dark Karo syrup is my secret ingredient. It’s darker due to a higher molasses content than regular clear corn syrup. That extra molasses really does give it a nicer depth of flavor. That’s the only change to the Southern Living recipe, though.

About the Pecans You Use in Pecan Pie:

Let’s talk about where to get some extraordinarily delicious pecans. I’ve recently begun a partnership with the Millican Pecan Company, the home of the MOTHER Pecan Orchard,  in San Saba, TX. They are a 5 generation farm family! Their orchard pioneered the pecan industry in San Saba, back  in 1888.

Millican Pecan Halves

Millican Pecans have been featured on Martha Stewart, Food Network, Southern Living, and bon appetit.

I LOVE their pecans, and they don’t JUST sell pecans. (I also heartily endorse their Sweet and Spicy pecans, that go great on a salad, or are delicious as an appetizer.) If you’d like to order their VERY reasonably priced and highest quality pecans, or any of their pecan treats from them, please use my coupon code: SUSAW100

Enjoy!!!

Old Fashioned Pecan Pie

Please, pin this on Pinterest, or share it on Facebook.

By the way, if you’ve now got a hankering for that deliciously light looking Pumpkin Pie pictured above, let me link you here to the Fluffiest Pumpkin Pie recipe, ever.

But for now, 

The Recipe for How to Make Old Fashioned Pecan Pie

Yield: 8 servings

How to Make Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie

A dark, rich, easy and delicious pecan pie.

A dark, rich, easy and delicious holiday dessert

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • FOR CRUST:
  • 1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1/3 c. plus 2 T. shortening
  • 3 to 4 T. ice water
  • FOR FILLING:
  • 1/2 c. butter, melted
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. dark corn syrup
  • 1/2 c. light corn syrup
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 1 unbaked 9" pie shell
  • 1 to 1 1/4 c. pecans

Instructions

  1. FOR CRUST: Combine flour and salt.
  2. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
  3. Sprinkle ice water, 1 T. at a time, evenly over surface.
  4. Stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened.
  5. Shape into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in fridge for at least 1 hour.
  6. Roll dough to 1/8" thickness on a lightly floured surface.
  7. Place in pie plate, and flute edges.
  8. FOR FILLING: Combine butter, sugar, and corn syrups in medium saucepan.
  9. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves.
  10. Let cool slightly (to keep eggs from prematurely cooking).
  11. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt to mixture; mix well.
  12. Pour filling into unbaked pastry shell, and top with pecan halves.
  13. Bake at 325º for 50 to 55 minutes. Serve warm or cold.



Notes

This recipe courtesy MY MOM (!!!) and the Southern Living Cookbook.
I usually make the pastry dough and form the pie crust discs to chill, the night before. I assemble and bake the pie the morning of Thanksgiving.

Recommended Products

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I’m going to go out on a limb here, and guess that if you’re reading up on a dessert this decadent, you might be looking for even more recipes that are worthy of the holidays. You’re in luck!!! I have more than a few! 

Recipe Suggestions for the Holidays

Looking for holiday recipe suggestions? Well, look no further! These are the best of the best!

Jamie Jo

Wednesday 8th of December 2010

It's a good thing I just lost 17 pounds before reading this! I seriously might break the diet just for this one pecan pie recipe.

NotaSupermom

Monday 6th of December 2010

:)

Angela

Monday 6th of December 2010

That looks delicious!

Susan in the Boonies

Sunday 5th of December 2010

Dear Nota,

Those are great questions. I literally use ice in mine. In fact, I put my measuring cup in the freezer, and sometimes literally break the ice that forms on top. Here's the idea: you don't want to melt the fat in the shortening until it hits the oven. When it melts, it creates little pockets of steam that lift the layers of gluten/flour on top, and that gives you the flaky crust. That's why to get a tender, flaky crust, you really want to work the dough as little as possible. You want little pieces of unmelted fat throughout the dough.

I should blog about this, shouldn't I? Because if you stick your piccolo in there, you're gonna gum up your Yankee Doodle Dandy.

NotaSupermom

Saturday 4th of December 2010

Questions. Does ice water contain actual ice or is it just icy cold?Can I piccolo the edges?

Ruthie

Saturday 5th of December 2020

What does ‘piccolo’ the edges mean?

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