Texas pecan pie
My grandmother makes the best pies. Of course, everyone’s grandmother makes the best pies, but I’m not kidding when I say my grandmother’s pies are divine. Everyone in my family has their favorite: some like the peach, some like the sweet potato, some like the chocolate. But from my grandmother’s pie-making repertoire, there is one pie that we all agree is top notch: her pecan pie.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of her pies is how fresh they are. She and my grandpa live on a farm, where small groves of pecan and peach trees grow and where there is always an ample crop of sweet potatoes. So her pies are made with the fruit of the land, making them very, very tasty. My grandparents are pragmatic people, and as they’re getting older, they always ask what we want willed to us. In yet another testament to her pies, the one thing we all fight over is my grandmother’s rolling pin that she was given in the 1940s and has used ever since. Forget the land, the houses or the antiques–we all want that magical tool that has rolled out so many delicious crusts.
Family skirmishes aside, I’m fortunate that even though I live a thousand miles away, she always sends me a pecan pie for my birthday. This year I opted to freeze a slice for a time when I was most in need of a fix, and a couple of days ago when I was feeling very homesick, having the chance to eat a slice of her pecan pie filled me with great peace. I don’t know if it’s the freshness of the pecans or the love she puts into each pie, but they are delicious and always bring me back home. She has graciously given me her recipe, which she learned from her mother. Here it is:
Pecan pie
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup white corn syrup
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Mix together the sugar, the corn syrup, the eggs, and the vanilla. Stir in the milk, flour, melted butter, and pecans.
- Pour the filling into the piecrust. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until set.
This pie is in my oven right now. In the interest of full disclosure, I've never had pecan pie, nor made one, so my fingers are crossed! Thank you for the recipe!
I have now made this pie two years in a row to rave reviews. My grandmother made date loaf instead of pecan pie, so I never had a family recipe to use. Thanks for sharing your family recipes and stories with homesick Texans everywhere.
I am always eager to improve the things I cook, and I am intrigued by this manner of making a crust. Nonetheless, I must ask if Grandma does anything else to her ingredients other than just mix them? Does she chill the flour? The dough? Does she let it rest, or does she just mix, roll, and bake? I ask because this morning I began this recipe with chilled ingredients and as I began to roll out the crust it drew back up every time I would give it a roll and so I decided to let it rest… Signed a Curious Monica
Monica–She just mixes and rolls. It's important to use whole milk, though, so it will have enough fat.
Would love to see a picture of the famed rolling pin your grandma uses! 🙂