Monday's Menu

 One of my favorite holiday desserts is pecan pie. 

Most recipes, though, call for corn syrup. Corn syrup is not exactly real food.

I've tried a couple of recipes that don't use corn syrup but they weren't that great and I was rather disappointed.  Azure does have an organic corn syrup that brings it a step closer to real food. 

But it doesn't help much if you don't think of ordering it until after your order arrives. Oops.

However, I found this recipe this year to give a try. I think it's a winner.

It uses real maple syrup in place of the corn syrup and thickens with some flour mixed into the butter. I think I'm in love.

Be aware that real maple syrup is not the Aunt Jemima stuff. That is just corn syrup (high fructose or not) with brown coloring and fake maple flavor added to it. Sooo bad for you.

Real maple syrup (kind of like this one) is thinner, almost like water. It has to be refrigerated after opening. And it actually came from a tree at some point in its life. So don't accidentally add in the wrong thing if you decide to try this recipe.

I love that I don't have to buy anything special to make this pie. I usually have all of these ingredients on hand. And I really love knowing that the ingredients aren't scary. I hope you enjoy it.

The original recipe came from here.

Maple Pecan Pie

1 pie crust

2 1/2 cups pecans

5 Tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Par-bake your pie crust by rolling it out and lining a greased pie plate. Place a piece of parchment paper in the center and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Use egg wash on the crust, if desired. Bake 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights/dried beans and parchment paper.

Carefully spread pecans evenly inside warm pie crust. Set aside. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and flour together in a large bowl until combined and thick. Whisk in the vanilla extract, salt, eggs, and pure maple syrup until combined. Pour evenly over pecans.

Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, if desired, place a pie shield or circle of foil around outside edges of pie to prevent browning. 

Remove finished pie from the oven and sprinkle sea salt on top. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. The pie filling will set as it cools.

Cover and store leftover pie at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.