Pecan Pie from Scratch

My family loves pecan pie especially the way I make it.

Pecan pie made from scratch

 So I don't loose the recipe I'm doing this blog post on it.   

 Here's the recipe:

Pie Crust   (this is an old family recipe that I don't know where it came from all I know its how we made them and no-one ever complained about it) :
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons white sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 Oil (I use extra light Olive Oil, or  vegetable oil)
2 Tablespoons milk (I use 2%)

Pecan Pie filling (This recipe is the combination of a couple of recipes I've seen through the years from cookbooks, the Karo syrup bottle and the newspaper- The cookbook had more surgar and was too sweet for me so I cut it back on the sugar.  The newspaper used 3 eggs instead of two and the Karo syrup used less butter but had vanilla. )

1 cup corn syrup (Karo - light)
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 lg eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
1/3 cup melted butter (got to be butter and not margarine)
1-2 cups Pecans ( I usually do 2 cups and use the pieces)

Bake @ 350 degrees for about 1 1/4 hrs with a aluminum foil cover over it.


Now how to put this all together:
First thing I do is turn on the oven to  350 degrees and let it preheat while I mix things together.

Then I get the 5 & 1/3 teaspoons of  butter and start melting it.

I get my pie tin - usually I use a Pyrex one but any 9" or  10"pie plate will do.

 I then put the 1 1/2 cup of flour, the pinch of salt and the 2 Tablespoons of sugar into to the pie plate.
Then I mix it together with a fork.

 Next I measure 1/2 cup olive oil.

 I add the 2 Tablespoons of milk to it.

 Then I emulsify it - till it looks creamy.  (this is really the secret to this pie crust - to make sure the two are well blended together)

 I then pour it into the pie plate with the dry ingredients.

 I mix the two together with a fork.

 When it is well mixed together it should look something like this.

 

 Now for the fun part.  This is what I used to love to do as a child - you get to play with the dough. There is no rolling pins just your fingers.  As you are playing with it you gradually press it against the walls of the pie tin, leaving some for the bottom.

 Then you press out the bottom.  Then if you want to you can flute the edges.

The  pie crust is fini!!.  You can use this pie crust to make other pie treats too - like a lemon meringue  or chocolate pie etc.

 By this point your butter should be melted and needs to be taken from the heat.

Now for  the Pie Filling:
1 cup Karo syrup.

 2/3 cups brown sugar.

 Mix the two together till smooth.

 Add 3 large eggs.

 Then add the salt (optional)

 

 Add the teaspoon of Vanilla

 So it should look something like this.

 Mix it all together.

 Then add the melted butter.  The first recipe I had - had me add the butter to the eggs and that was a disaster - the hot butter started to cook the eggs and there were egg pieces throughout the pie.  The next time I made it I added the butter last and it made all the difference.  So it ended up being more like a caramel filling than anything else.

I added it to the other ingredients and mixed it all together.

Now for the main ingredient - the Pecans!! These were fancy halves but most of the time I just use bits and pieces because its a lot cheaper that way.

 

  Next I add 1- 2 cups of pecans. I prefer 2 cups.

 

 Mix it all together.

 Pour into the 9" unbaked pie crust  and cover with aluminum foil.  Put on a cookie sheet.

 Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and a fourth or there about.  At  1 1/4 peak under the foil - if the pie crust is golden & not burnt check and see if the center is firm or still liquid.  If liquid cook a couple of minutes longer but not too long you don't want to burn the crust.

Take out and try to let it cool down before the family sees it.

  This below pie didn't make it that long as you can see.

NB: the pie crust can be used for other types of pies too.  You can cook it without anything in it - 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.  And then fill it with stuff.  Also if you want too you can double the recipe and make a top for it that way.  The top you would have to roll out. If you use it for a non sweet purpose like a quiche or a chicken pot pie don't add the sugar.