Pecan Pie Recipe

We live for  pecan pie in our house.  If we make two they are gone in less than 48 hrs.  One pie alone is reserved for me (and dont you forget that husband and children…) or at least I usually claim as much. 
This year they didn't turn out as pretty as usual because we didn’t have our DELUXE recipe that we usually use but, alas, they still ‘boasted’ about putting 12 lbs on me in 24 hrs (I have a love / hate relationship with pecan pie…I love to eat it and then hate myself for doing something so dumb as to sit and eat a half of pie in one sitting.  What…?  I am just being honest here)
So anywho….when I get the DEEEEluxe version of the recipe I shall update accordingly but here is the recipe we used for our Thanksgiving feast. 

Now grab all your ingredients:  Whole pecans, sugar, dark and light caro syrup (you can sub with just one or the other but we always split them between both), butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and deep dish pie shells.

Now grab a large bowl and whisk your eggs

Grab your caro syrup, measure, and pour it in.

Make sure you get all that good stuff in there!

Now add your sugar.  Is it weird that I love this picture?  Yes, apparently I get excited by pouring sugar and getting a good picture of it.

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh baby loooook at that sugggah!

Grab the butter and pop it in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds until its warm but not boiling.  I had to let  mine cool….oops!

*Note to self: 30 seconds is toooo long in your microwave*
Pour in your vanilla

Oh baby here is my one true food love in the world in its base form

Mix it all up with your mixer on medium.  Warning…I am only using one beater cuz well….thats a whole nother blog post.  Lets just say it has something to do with a three year old and her love of singing into my beaters….nuff said! 
Hey, that’s how we roll round here.  Feel free to use two :)

Now pour your butter in making sure that you are still mixing.  Remember we only want the butter melted not boiling…

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…..if your a batter lover (what? why did everyone look at me?)  this stuff is heaven in a bowl. 

WARNING: I do not condone eating raw eggs in batter….consume at your own risk.

***Public service announcement over***

Oh lordy, pour all that amazing goodness into the pie shell. 

Please be sure you don't leave any of this goodness behind in the bowl.

I do condone licking the bowl clean.  Just be sure no one is around to witness your temporary insanity. 

Break out those bad boy pecans and grab yerself a handful.  Now, I know there are many ways to skin a cat (please don’t try and prove that theory) but this is how we roll around here.  We hand place our pecans delicately after pouring in the batter.

However you want to do it feel free.  I am just showing you my way of doing it.

disclaimer: those are not my hands.  I cannot take pictures while holding pecans in one hand and placing pecans with the other.  If that were the case then I would actually be able to walk, chew gum, and talk on the phone all at the same time.  One can dream…

Carefully place your pecans around the pie starting at the edge as shown.

uh huh…..

second row…

wow thats looking good…

mmmmmm…..

last pecan!  Now grab some tinfoil and pull it out about 2 inches.  Tear off two pieces roughly the same size.  This isnt crucial as far as size goes but it is crucial to make for a nice crust while these babies cook.

Here we are all wrapped up and ‘ready, ready, ready to rrruuuunnnnn’ .  Thats my best impression of the Dixie Chicks.  Now, don’t actually run to your oven but place this bad boy in there to get reaaaaalllllly happpy.

Here it is.  But, its not quite done yet.  We still need about 12 minutes left before the center is no longer wiggling like a weeble-wobble.  You know its done when it doesn’t jiggle and wiggle.  Its usually around 55 minutes you will start noticing it getting firm.  It can sometimes take as long as 65-70 minutes (especially if you have a dorky electric stove and two pies involved) to completely cook. 

Here is the finished product.  Not our most beautiful pie but that sure wont be stopping me from devouring it within hours of stuffing myself full of turkey dinner.
 

Printable PDF Pecan Pie Recipe 

Pecan Pie Recipe
1 bag whole pecans
½ cup of dark caro syrup
½ cup of light caro syrup
3 eggs slightly beaten
1 c sugar
2 tb real butter – melted but not boiling
1 ts vanilla extract
Preheat 350 degrees
Cook 55-65 minutes
Cover crust with foil for the duration of cooking time
Tip: Don’t get your foil into your mixture or when you pull it off it will pull up your pie and possibly the pecans with it.

Happy Turkey Day!!!

Well, I must say im slaaaaaaaacking today.  Im a bit tired but hey…got most of the prep work done yesterday.  The MOM is here and she took over and did the early early morning chores (thanks MOM your a dream…err maybe that was a dream anyway).  So now fresh pumpkin pie spices, sweet potatoes (candied yams), and pecan pies are filling my house with the most incredible smell ever.
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it and pictures will be up later showcasing our feast that I plan on needing a serious trainer to work off those calories. 
By the way, is it even legal to want to consume 32,000 calories in like two days?  You tell me!

Gobble Gobble….my lil turkey dude wants to get a tan so I am going to help him with that.

Kerr

Turkey Brine Solution

Ok so you have never brined a turkey right?  Or anything for that matter.  Well guess what, this is one of those things your going to wonder why on earth you never tried it before.  Its easy, doesn’t take as long as you think, and with little preparation you will have a heck of a delicious turkey that people will be bowing down and kissing your lil toes for the luxury of a great thanksgiving.

Now you must forgive me, I was busy  in the kitchen today taking mad pictures and cooking multiple turkey day items and realized when all was said and done I hadnt gotten any prep photos of my brine or during it so…one picture is all you get but mostly its just throwing a bunch of spices and seasonings in water so your good trust me!

1. 1 cup of kosher/coarse salt
2. 1/2 cup of light brown sugar – packed
3. 5 large bay leaves
4. 2 tb of black pepper corns
5. 1 tb of powdered garlic
6. 1 tb of dried rosemary
7. 1 tb of rubbed sage
8. 1 tb crushed coriander

Bring 2 quarts of cold water to a boil in a large stock pot.

Add all of your ingredients to your pot.  Stir until dissolved completely.  Remove from the heat.  Add 2 more quarts of cold water.  Stir.  Let sit to cool.  Put in the fridge or add ice to completely cool down the brine.  We dont want no stinking warm brine trying to cook our lil birdie. 

Now…get yourself a huge brining bag or a huge plastic bag for say sweaters and put ur lil guy in the plastic bag.  Put your bag (turkey dude in tow) into a new stock pot or can or something that will hold your turkey but fit in your fridge.  Now pour all your brine over the dude and then seal him shut.  Put him in the fridge so he sleeps in a blissfully happy brine bath till your ready to cook him.  Be sure to rinse him very very well before cooking him and pat him dry.  Cooking that lil guy is next! 

Where’s the picture you say???  Well here is a quick look at my brine in my stock pot.  Nothing special but man it can work some serious magic on our lil dude.  He be one way happy dude tomorrow!