November, fresh Oklahoma pecans, and the approaching holidays make me crave pecan pie. Living in a state that not only holds the record for the world's largest pecan pie but also includes pecan pie in its official state meal impresses upon me a sense of responsibility to bake and eat as many versions as possible.
As a child who disliked nuts in my food, when I was served pecan pie I carefully pried off the top layer of nuts and ate only the rich custard filling and crust. Now I can't imagine leaving off that sweet layer of crunchy goodness.
I purchased pecans through the Oklahoma Food Coop from Sandy Creek Farms. Small, sweet, and crisp, these Oklahoma native pecans have a high oil content, and baking with them brings out their buttery richness. I toasted them in the oven for a few minutes to further enhance their flavor.
The folks at Sandy Creek included this recipe with their pecans:
Sandy Creek Farms Pecan Pie
1 cup waffle or corn syrup
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat syrup and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Beat eggs slightly; gradually pour in hot syrup as you continue beating. Add butter and pecans. Add one teaspoon vanilla if corn syrup is used. Pour into an unbaked 9-inch pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
