We were there! After five hours of driving dark highways in the bitter cold, the whole family piled into the warmth of my grandmother’s yellow kitchen. As usual, everyone talking at once. Following shortly behind us, coming from the opposite direction on Interstate 10, my aunt’s family banged through the old screen door, arms laden with luggage and goodies.
Nanny had a stack of pecan pies, all baked in foil pie plates and wrapped in more foil, a tower of shiny as welcome as any star on the nearby Christmas tree. Pecan pie was one of her specialties and this year, she claimed, she had perfected the recipe. Baking pie after pie until the mixture was just right. We laughed when she said 7/8 cup of Karo, because how do you even measure that!
In southern Louisiana, your godparents are your nanan and parran, the Cajun French words for godmother and godfather. Aunt Karen was not my godmother but she was my older sister’s and since I was three years younger, I called her Nanny as well. That was just her name and it never occurred to me until I was much older that she wasn’t my godmother too.
On Christmas Day, 20 years ago, we lost Nanny to breast cancer, after a few years’ hard fight. She was only 49. She lives on through her children and grandchildren and in the cherished memories we have of the most generous and loving aunt, sister, mother, friend anyone has ever known. I eyeball that measuring cup each time I make this pie and channel her precision for 7/8 cup. Her recipe hasn’t failed me yet.
Nanny's Pecan Pie
Ingredients
For the filling:
1 large egg
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
7/8 cup or 207ml clear Karo corn syrup (Just do your best.)
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups or 180g chopped pecans
4 small pats of butter (about 1 teaspoon each)
1 unbaked pie shell (I use this recipe. Stop when the crust has been pricked with a fork, and come on back here to make the filling.)
Method
Preheat your oven to 300°F or 149°C.
Put your pecans in a large baking pan and pop them in the oven as it preheats. Set a timer for five minutes and shake the pan every time it rings. Take the pecans out when they smell all toasty and nutty. Depending on your oven, this could take 10 minutes or even 20. Depends on how fast your oven preheats and the toasting can really start. Remove the pecans from the oven and set aside to cool.
Beat the egg and sugar until yellow and creamy looking.
Add the Karo and the pinch of salt and whisk again.
After thoroughly mixed, add your cooled pecans.
Pour into unbaked pie shell. Put pats of butter on top.
Bake in your preheated oven for 50/60 minutes. (I suggest putting a piece of foil under the pan, for easy clean up, in case it boils over a little.)
Remove from the oven when the pie is almost set. It might still be just a little bit wobbly in the middle.
Allow to cool completely before cutting.
Enjoy!
Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:
- Coconut Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Covered Spoons by Cravings of a Lunatic
- Chocolate Shortbread Bars by Juanita’s Cocina
- Buckeyes byMy Catholic Kitchen
- Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Fudge by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
- Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies by Jen’s Favorite Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies by Try Anything Once Culinary
- Chocolate Peppermint Donuts by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake by Liv Life
- Coconut Cream Tres Leches Cake by The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
- Cranberry Pistachio Eggnog Bark by See Aimee Cook
- Cranberry Yogurt Cookies by Mom’s Test Kitchen
- Cranberry-Orange Gin Fizz by The Messy Baker
- Flourless Peanut Butter Nutella S’Mores by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Frosted Sugar Cookies by Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
- Gluten-free Cinnamon Star Cookies by Masala Herb
- Holiday Pinwheels by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- My Mother-in-law’s Fudge by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
- Nanny’s Pecan Pie by Food Lust People Love
- Peanut Butter n’ Jelly Thumbprints by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
- Peppermint Brownie Pops by Home Cooking Memories
- Peppermint Fudge by Like Mother Like Daughter
- Peppermint Mocha Brownie Cookies by Homemade in the Kitchen
- Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Pokey Fudge by Ninja Baking
- Vanilla Wafer Holiday Bark by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
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