My assistant, Lynn Terry, came in this morning and told me her 85-year-old mother was abandoning her family tried-and-true pecan pie recipe for the one that is on the cover of the new issue of Taste of the South. Since we are beginning to see the leaves change here, our minds are turning to pecan, apple, and pumpkin pies. I wanted to share this recipe with you. Seeing how most Southern women would never publicly admit they were giving up their recipe in favor of a new one, I knew this was one to share.
Pick up a copy of this issue and check out all the fall recipes. In the meantime, here is your new favorite pecan pie recipe.
Classic Pecan Pie
Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie
Crust:
11⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 to 4 tablespoons whole buttermilk, chilled
Filling:
3 large eggs
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3⁄4 cup light corn syrup
1⁄2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups pecan halves
Preheat oven to 350°.
For crust: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until a dough forms. Shape into a disk; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough 1⁄8 inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, pressing into bottom and up sides. Fold edges under, and crimp as desired.
For filling: In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Gently stir in pecans. Pour mixture into prepared crust.
Bake 30 minutes. Loosely cover with aluminum foil, and bake until center is set, approximately 20 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
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