Pecan pie

Pecan pieis apieofpecannuts mixed with a filling of eggs, butter and sugar (typicallycorn syrup).Variations may include white orbrown sugar,cane syrup,sugar syrup,molasses,maple syrup, orhoney.It is commonly served at holiday meals in the United States and is considered a specialty ofSouthern U.S. origin.Most pecan pie recipes include salt andvanillaas flavorings. Pecan pie may be served withwhipped cream,vanilla ice creamorhard sauce.
Attempts to trace the dish's origin have not found any recipes dated earlier than a pecan custard pie recipe published inHarper's Bazaarin 1886.Pecan pie was made before the invention of corn syrup, and older recipes used darker sugar-based syrup or molasses. The 1929 congressional club cookbook has a recipe for the pie which used only eggs, milk, sugar and pecans.The makers ofKaro syrupsignificantly contributed to popularizing the dishand many of the recipes for variants (caramel,cinnamon,Irish cream, peanut butter, etc.) of the classic pie. The company has claimed that the dish was a 1930s "discovery" of a "new use for corn syrup" by a corporate sales executive's wife.Well-known cookbooks such asFannie FarmerandThe Joy of Cookingdid not include this dessert before 1940.Pecan pie came to be closely associated with the culture of the Southern United States in the 1940s and 1950s.
Pecans are native to the southern United States. Archaeological evidence found inTexasindicates thatNative Americansused pecans more than 8,000 years ago.The wordpecanis a derivative from the early 18th century of anAlgonquinword,pakani, referring to a nut.
Sugar piessuch astreacle tartwere attested in Medieval Europe, and adapted in North America to the ingredients available, resulting in such dishes asshoofly pie,sugar cream pie,butter tartandchess pie.Some Pecan pie recipes may be a variant ofchess pie, which is made with a similar butter-sugar-egg plus the addition of milk or condensed milk to make a truecustard.
Some have stated that the French invented pecan pie soon after settling inNew Orleans, after being introduced to the pecan nut by the Native AmericanQuinipissaandTangipahoatribes.Claims have also been made of pecan pie existing in the early 1800s in Alabama, but this does not appear to be supported by recipes or literature.
Pecan pie is often mentioned in American literature (and television) and is associated withThanksgiving, Christmas, and other special occasions; for example:
Pecan pie is a staple of the Southern U.S., and is often used in literary context as a symbol of the South; for example:
TheTexas Legislaturedesignated pecan pie as the official "State Pie of Texas" in 2013.
This pie is named after Alice Colombo, who was a food editor for theLouisvilleCourier-Journalin Kentucky. This pie was made by her on the occasion of theKentucky Derby. The special ingredients suggested in the recipe include cornstarch, to soften the top, bourbon, chocolate chips and whipped cream.
Characterized by the addition ofbutterscotchchips and brown sugar (in addition to, not in place of, corn syrup).
This pie has nuts on the surface and it is layered with chocolate pudding andfudge. It is served at room temperature or chilled.
Includesmaple syrupandalmond extract.
Pecan tassies are a mini variation of a pecan pie, baked in small cups (traditionally) or more commonly in mini-muffin pans. The recipe first appeared in US newspapers in the 1950-60s,and was also shown in the movieSteel Magnolias. The origin of the name is unclear, but most recipes mention that "tassie" is the Scottish word for little cup or glass, and that in French a small cup is "la tasse."
Sawdust Pie consists of an egg-batter filling with coconut, graham cracker crumbs and pecans, topped with whipped cream and sliced bananas.This pie originated in the late 1800s from Patti's Restaurant inGrand Rivers, Kentucky.The name is due to the texture of the pie filling.
There are many variations of transparent pie recipes, but one version is a regular pecan pie recipe with pecans omitted, and vanilla replaced with nutmeg or lemon juice.This pie can be served at room temperature or chilled, but when it is served at room temperature it looks transparent.
In this pie, chocolate chips and a few teaspoons ofJack Danielwhiskeyare added.
In the United States, pecan pies are sold at bakeries, cafes, farmers markets, and grocery stores.