My late father was a bit of a cowboy, and had been to the altar three times before he passed away at the age of 38. Now his second wife (my step-mother) was probably the kindest and most traditionally wonderful of the three wives. A school teacher. A Sunday school teacher. A beauty queen. A whole lot like Cinderella herself. Every Christmas she baked dozens of pecan pies, and hand delivered them to everyone she knew. She grew up among pecan orchards in Georgia, and had perfected the art. Yet, no one’s pies could ever measure up to hers. This drove the Third Wife particularly crazy – she was fiercely jealous of the Second Wife and had convinced herself that it that pecan pie that kept Cowboy Daddy looking back over his shoulder. 

When we used to ask the beloved Second Wife what her recipe was, she always said, “Darling, it’s just the one on the back of the Karo syrup box.” But it never worked out quite the same – because it wasn’t. Finally, in 2016, she gave me the real one. And the subtle differences make it the best of all – and everything that the Third Wife could only dream of.

ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup light Karo corn syrup
3 large eggs
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 cups pecan pieces  (order from South Georgia)*
2 regular pie crusts

directions

Mix the first five ingredients, including the pecans (don’t put them on top). Pour them into the raw pie crusts. Bake for 300 degrees for 60-70 minutes until the filling is set.  Now knowing when it is done is really an art because just five minutes too little can mean a runny pie. Likewise, five minutes too long, and it loses its moisture. When it’s done, the center will still be just a tiny bit jiggly. The whole thing will firm as it cools. Serve with homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

*The pecans really do matter. Everyday grocery store pecans will not be as good as ones ordered from South Georgia, and even the taste of these crops will vary from year to year.  Durden Pecan Company has been a reliable source for me.