Pecan Pie

Last night I gave my Southern Vintage Treats, (mentions the book The Help) for the Schaumburg Twp. Library. Great fun! We all enjoyed red velvet cake, Moon Pies, Coconut Pies, and Pralines. I've served mini Pecan pies, and I always talk about them. It is definitely a favorite for many people, and comes from the Southern cuisine traditions, as the crops of pecans were so popular in Louisiana.

Farm Journal’s Complete Pie Cookbook has these variations of pecan pies:  Apple, blender, butterscotch, souffle, date, easy, mocha, orange, puff.  What on earth is Blender pie? It can be made with molasses, maple, Karo syrup. It was also popular with chocolate, bourbon, whiskey

Thought to be invented by French when they settled in New Orleans, there is no known recipe before 1925, and not in cookbooks until 1940, when it appeared in Joy of Cooking and Fannie Farmer.Karo syrup claims credit for the invention in the 1930’s, though not proven – certainly it helped popularize it.
 
Wayside Inn Pecan Pie


The Wayside Inn, in Middletown, VA, since 1797, is famous for its maple pecan pie.  This recipe is from my Southern Heritage Southern Living Pies and Pastry volume. Maple syrup makes this distinctive from other pecan pies. Try it!

2 tablespoons butter or margarine softened

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

1 unbaked (9-inch) pastry shell

Combine butter, sugar, syrup and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Add eggs, and beat well. Stir in pecans. Pour mixture into pastry shell. Bake at 325F for 1 hour or until set.