By TMoM Team Member Sydney D. Richardson, Ph. D.
The holidays are here, and it’s time to stuff our faces with all of the things we swore off for the past few months. Furthermore, that means every dish that includes sugar, pie crust, sticks of butter, Crisco, and so much more! Not only are the holidays for stuffing our faces, it’s also for being around the ones we love and sharing new recipes.
Growing up, my mom and her four sisters would cook holiday dinners. Everything from pound cake to sweet potato pie, turkey and dressing, collard greens, potato salad (Mom and my Aunt made their own versions), chocolate cake, and anything else you can name. For the holidays, we all gathered around the table to eat their amazing food. Undoubtedly, we would sneak into the kitchen late at night to eat again. It was so much fun.
Consequently, my sister and I are adults with our own families and the baton has passed to us. About four years ago, my sister and I began making the full spread of holiday dinners. Mom guided us through it all, but we did it. Now, we’re practically pros and every other year, my sister and I will introduce a new dish. In the past, the new dishes have included green bean casserole with homemade cream, pumpkin cookies, squash casserole, sausage dressing, and so much more. This year, I am introducing pecan pie, but not only that. I am stepping it up a bit and creating a kid version (traditional version) and an adult version (new twist)! If you are looking for a new dish, this is it.
Now, I had already made pecan pie before, but when I bought a new cookbook, I saw this “adult” addition and I screamed. I was so excited. Hopefully, you’ll try this out and enjoy it.
Pecan Pie
Crust
Store-bought deep dish crust (or you can make your own)
Filling
- 2 cups of halved pecans (put one cup to the side)
- 5-6 tablespoons of melted butter, semi-cooled
- ½ cup of brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup of maple syrup (you can also use corn syrup)
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt (optional to sprinkle on top)
Directions
In a bowl, pour in the top seven filling ingredients and mix well. When everything is well blended, pour the ingredients in the deep dish pie crust. Top the pie with 1 cup of pecans and sprinkle with a teaspoon of sea salt (optional). Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
Ready for the Adult Version?
Follow the steps above, but add an additional ingredient: ¼ cup of your choice of Whiskey. In my house, we use Tennessee Whiskey. Serve this for the holidays and you’ll be a hit. Enjoy!
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