pecan pie
9″ unbaked pie shell (1/2 pastry recipe)
2 c pecan halves
2 c real maple syrup
1/4 c soft butter
1/3 c sugar
2 T + 2 tsp flour
heaping 1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs, well-beaten
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
Sprinkle pecans into the bottom of the pie shell until covered. Bring syrup to a boil; boil gently, uncovered, for 8 minutes. Cool for at least 15 minutes. Cream butter; blend in sugar, flour, and salt. Add eggs, syrup and vanilla; mix well. Pour over nuts in pie shell. Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes, or until pie is completely puffed across top and browned. Cool on a wire rack. This is Great Grandma Kane’s recipe, and the only one I have ever seen which uses maple syrup instead of corn syrup.
southern chocolate pecan pie
Melt 2/3 c semisweet chocolate chips until smooth, and set aside to cool. Make the filling, with these changes: omit the extra sugar. Reduce the vanilla to 1 tsp and add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 T bourbon to the filling. Blend in the cooled chocolate, then pour the filling over the pecan halves in the pie shell. Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted halfway between the center and the edge comes out clean. Cool the pie on a wire rack.
