The first Halloween in this new-to-us home. The orange container holding the bits and piece of my Autumn decorations is still sitting–lid off, not much removed–in the middle of the Great Room that we use for our office/studio/haven’t figured where to put it yet. 
The Pumpkin Lady is, however, enjoying her pride of place at the dining table. A welcome Autumn felt thingie is hanging on the front door. The black tree with the orange lights is over by the fireplace, but I still haven’t gotten around to plugging it in. This is the first Halloween that we hosted no Trick-or-Treaters and, consequently, bought no candy. Writing this I realize how sad it may sound, but really, it wasn’t. It’s just the way we rolled this year.
And now it’s on to Thanksgiving. I’ve been asked to bring a green vegetable for our family feast. My niece likes to make the pies, so although I’ll ask, I probably won’t be making Jane’s World-Famous Award-Winning Best-Ever Pecan Pie this year. But you can. Here is my annual offering in the food blogger sweepstakes. Note that the awards were all self-given. But truly, this pecan pie is the best ever. It’s easy and almost foolproof. Well, the first time I made it, I forgot to put the eggs in and the whole thing set up as pecan brittle, but that was a gastronomical joy unto itself.
Stuff You’ll Need
1. The Secret, Part I is in the pie pan. You cannot NOT CAN’T use a regular pie pan. Get a fluted tarte pan with a removable bottom. They’re not expensive; you need one anyway because you can use them in the summer to make all sorts of fruit tartes.
2. And you’ll need pie dough sufficient to make one unbaked pastry shell. You can make your own, if you like, but Martha and I, we prefer the Pillsbury or Trader Joe’s pre-made dough.
3. Take your pie dough round and lay it on top of the tarte pan. Gently, gently pat it down in into place, so that there is dough in all the flutes. Cut off the excess bits all the way around. Place the tarte pan on a cookie sheet for ease of handling.
Now, go forth and make the pecan goop.
Ingredients
1 C granulated sugar
1-1/4 C dark corn syrup
4 large eggs
1/4 C butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 C pecans, broken
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1. Oven gets preheated to 350.
2. Cook sugar and corn syrup in a pan until the sugar dissolves.
3. Beat eggs lightly and pour into syrup mixture gradually and keep on beating while you do that (or else the eggs will scramble in the corn syrup).
4. Add the butter while beating (I cut it up before hand into bits so it melts easily)
5. Stir in the pecans.
6. Stir in the vanilla (did I mention that you should never ever use anything but Real Vanilla as the Imitation stuff tastes dreadful and why would you want to spoil your cooking thusly?)
The Secret, Part II: You’re not going to use most of the syrup. Yes, it will pain you, as it does me, to throw that over which you have labored away, but that’s what makes this pie so incredible, so different from your average goopy pecan pie.
7. Use a slotted spoon to transfer all the pecans to your waiting pie crust.
8. Ladle the syrup onto the pecans until it just tops the crust.
9. Balance carefully on your way to the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until set.
Cool pie. Remove the pie on the removable tarte pan bottom and place on a serving plate. Maybe put a doily under it. Maybe not.
Serve with whipped cream (the real stuff, please). Portion numbers depend on how big you slice it, but this is an 8 or 9 inch pie.
