The Star Garden (41 page)

Arizene Pecan Pic (enc 9-inch pic)

Begin by putting 3 ice cubes in a measuring cup and add water to at least ½ full. Melt 2 tablespoons of real butter in a small bowl or pan; set aside for filling. Assemble ingredients and have at hand: flour, salt, shortening, sugar, syrups, eggs, vanilla, pecans, measuring utensils, and rolling pin. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

One-crust Pie Shell

1 cup (rounded, unsifted) unbleached white flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup Crisco shortening (Granny used 3 tablespoons lard)

½ cup (+/-) iced water

Mix flour with salt, cut in shortening until it looks like heavy meal. Drizzle in ice water a little at a time, about ½ cup, mixing lightly just until it sets up in one piece. Pop it out onto a floured counter. Roll about ¼ inch thick, about 2 inches bigger than pan all around (9-inch pie plate), lay it in, trim to make an even rim, pinch up the edge, and poke the middle with a fork in 6 or 8 places. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so while assembling the filling.

Pecan Pie Filling

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 big pinch salt (about l/8 teaspoon)

2 tablespoons butter, melted, cooled slightly

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ cup Light Karo Syrup

½ cup Dark Karo Syrup

¼
cup clear maple syrup

2½ cups shelled pecan halves, do not chop

Beat eggs lightly in a big bowl. Stir in sugar and salt, butter and vanilla. Blend well. Then add all three syrups and mix well. Put pecans in and stir. Pour into crust and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees.

After 55 minutes, start checking for doneness. Slide a table knife into the syrup mixture an inch from the edge. When it pulls out clean, pie is finished. Let cool slowly; the center will finish cooking on the table. Good served warm with vanilla ice cream.

This makes as good a pecan pie as you can get if made with real sugar, butter, and maple syrup, even better if you have a tree out front to shake, and kids to pick and shell a bowl of fresh pecans, like my grandmother had. Don’t substitute artificial sweetener, vanilla, margarine, or anything else that’s not the real thing.