Pecan pie

Delicious dessert can be adapted to your preferences!

This sweet treat is commonly associated with the Southern United States, where the majority of the world’s pecans are grown. Pecan pie, while considered a classic, appears to be a relatively recent invention – culinary historians say the earliest known recipes date from the late 1800s, not from colonial times as was once thought. One of the reasons I like pecan pie (aside from the fact that it tastes fabulous) is that it can easily be made lactose-free, simply by substituting the butter for margarine and finding the appropriate pastry recipe. You’d have to omit the whipped cream garnish as well, but that’s a small price to pay for getting to enjoy this wonderful, nutty pie. As a tribute to the South, I like adding bourbon to the custard filling for a little flavour punch; you could use dark rum or vanilla extract instead. For a speedy alternative, check out my recipe for easy, amazingly tasty pecan pie squares.

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked deep dish pie shell*
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) flour
• 1 1/4 cups (310 mL) brown sugar
• 2/3 cup (160 mL) corn syrup (also called Karo or Golden syrup)
• 6 tablespoons (90 mL) soft butter
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) bourbon (or dark rum or vanilla)
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) pecan halves

Garnish: whipped cream

*For a regular (non deep-dish) pie, reduce the above ingredients by about 25% (e.g. 1 1/2 tablespoon flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/4 cup soft butter, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoon bourbon)

Method

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar.
• Add corn syrup and stir to combine.
• Add soft butter and stir to blend well.
• Add beaten eggs; stir until smooth.
• Add rum or vanilla and stir.
• Pour filling into unbaked pie shell.
• Add pecans, distributing evenly. Press down slightly to push nuts into filling.
• Bake 10 minutes at 375F then reduce heat to 350F and bake 40 minutes longer.
• Let cool. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream.