Pecan Pie! Very elegant one within the pies. Say what you want but it definitely stands out from the crowd with its glossy, irregular surface and deep, amber-brown colour. You can almost feel the sweetness of honey and crunch of toasted pecans just by looking at it. Very rich and satisfying.

I have always admired pecan pie from the distance but never attempted to bake it myself. Why? Maybe because pecans seem to be such a delicatessen within nuts that I almost didn’t want to risk destroying their ‘image’ by failing miserably trying to bake a cake which is nothing, but all about them. The Christmas Challenge wouldn’t be the same though, if I didn’t face my fears and try to bake the best pecan pie I can only make to do them justice.

You know what? I think it worked! Maybe my version of this iconic pie is not the prettiest but it should definitely score few good points in taste category. Yummy filling with a gentle crunch on a delicate, buttery crust- it is perfect bake for a cosy Sunday afternoon.

Original Recipe Pecan Pie

Ingredients
partially pre-baked pie crust- 1 unit
granulated sugar- 1 cup
light corn syrup- 1 cup
vanilla extract- 1 tsp
salt- 1 tsp
ground cinnamon- 1/4 tsp
eggs- 4 units
salted butter- 1 stick
pecan halves- 2 cups

Directions

1. Partially pre-bake pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan according to its instructions. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and cinnamon; add eggs and whisk until smooth.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over heat for about 4-5 minutes. Slowly pour butter into the sugar mixture and mix together.
4. Chop the pecans and stir them into the batter. Next, pour entire filling into the prepared pie crust. If you want the pie to look more elegant, line the top of the filling with some extra pecans.
5. Bake for about 50-60 minutes in 175°. Let the cake cool completely before slicing (I found this part of recipe the most difficult and challenging!)

Again, I couldn’t help myself but change few things. This time, simply because I did not have some of the ingredients at home. Instead of using ready-made pie crust, I made my own from scratch. It is pretty easy and does not take too much time to prepare. I will write separate post about home-made pie crust soon.
Another little change was replacing corn syrup with honey. I do not think  it affected final result significantly as no-one who tried my pecan pie complained.

I must say, I am very happy with this one!