My grandma was a fabulous cook. Right, I know… everyone says that about their grandma and, with all due respect to grandmas everywhere, the food my grandma made was Divine. Like, with a capital “D.” And not just her cooking in general, but her baking, as well. Long before I came along, she worked at a little diner in a tiny pit-stop of a town (think: Cedar Ridge’s little sister) and people would make the drive from all directions to indulge in her homemade bread, rolls, and pies.
She was a foodie before that was a thing, and I credit her with spoiling me for anything store-bought. Thankfully, she wasn’t one of those cooks who guards her recipes and her secrets like they were the Holy Grail. Instead, my grandma was willing to share it all with anyone who would take the time to learn and have the patience to do it all right. Everything I know about cooking and baking, I learned from her. So when my pies won blue and red ribbons at the state fair, it was all thanks to her.
Fewer people are interested in cooking from scratch these days. We’ve got a lot going on, and cooking and baking (if you do it right) typically takes more time than people are willing or able to put in. If you’re craving a gooey slice of pecan pie, for instance, it’s easier to stop by a bakery or grocery store and just buy one rather than make the crust, roll it out, make the filling, put it in the oven, keep an eye on it so the crust edges don’t burn, and clean up your cooking mess in the meantime. But! In a side-by-side taste-comparison, the homemade version will beat the store-bought every time, and I’m pretty sure foodies would all agree that the time factor is so worth it.
For anyone who appreciates a good pie and who is willing to trade a bit of their precious time, in tribute to Erma, my Pie Mentor, I am pleased to share this recipe for my decadent Blue Ribbon Pecan Pie. I hope those who give it a shot enjoy it as much as my family does.
👩🏻🍳𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🥧
Pie Crust:
Place 1 c flour, 1/4 tsp granulated sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to mix. Add 1/4 c shortening to the flour mixture and blend until it forms a crumbly mixture. With the processor running, drop 3 Tbsp of cold butter (straight from the fridge) into the mixture through the hopper on the lid, one tablespoon at a time. The mixture will start to stick together better, but will still be crumbly. Continuing to run the processor, pour in 2 Tbsp cold water, also one tablespoon at a time. When the mixture has worked itself into a ball, stop the processor and dump the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. If there are any unincorporated crumbs, gently press them into the dough as you work it into a rounded ball. You shouldn’t need to handle it much, though. Wrap the plastic around the dough and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut a 9-inch circle out of waxed paper and place in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Spray cooking spray onto the sides of the pie plate and set aside.
After 15 minutes, take crust dough from the fridge and unwrap the plastic, smoothing it out over the counter and leaving the dough on top of it. You’ll use the plastic as a work surface. It helps to wipe the counter with a damp cloth before doing this, because the moisture will hold the plastic wrap in place. Sprinkle flour over the top of the dough and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a large circle, approximately 12 inches in diameter. The dough will be delicate and can tend to stick to the rolling pin, so continue to sprinkle flour over it as you work to minimize sticking.
Pick up 2 corners of the plastic wrap to loosen it from the countertop and slide one hand beneath it, then flip it over into the pie plate. The plastic wrap will now be on top of the dough, and you can use it to help center the crust in the plate, if necessary, before you peel it off. Don’t be frustrated if the dough tears. It’s delicate, but forgiving, and you can easily press together torn parts with light fingertip touches as you gently pat the dough into place in the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Use a knife to cut away any excess dough from the edges (you can also press excess dough you’ve cut away into place if some of the edges don’t quite come to the edge of the pie plate), then press the tines of a fork into the dough around the entire outer edge of the crust. Place pie weights or a pie chain in the bottom of the plate and bake the unfilled crust for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
While the crust pre-bakes, make the filling.
Filling:
3 eggs
2/3 c granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c dark corn syrup
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/3 c butter, melted
1 c pecan halves
Beat eggs slightly in a mixing bowl. With mixer running, add in sugar, salt, and vanilla until blended. Add in corn syrups and mix well, then blend in melted butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the pecans into the filling.
After 10 minutes, remove the crust from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Let the crust cool until the oven’s temperature has lowered.
Once the oven’s temp has dropped to 350, remove the pie weights (or chain) from the crust and pour the pie filling in. Put the pie in the oven and bake for 50 minutes, placing a pie crust shield* over the edges of your pie after 25 minutes.
When the pie is done, remove from the oven and cool before slicing.
*You can tape together strips of tin foil to use in place of a pie crust shield.
**Pie crust recipe can be doubled if you want to use it to make a pie that requires a top and bottom crust.
***Note: don’t cut any corners! Results won’t be as tasty if you don’t use real butter. real sugar, and real vanilla.
