There are quite a few things that I pride myself on doing well for example: painting my nails both right and left-handed without making a mess, my dance moves in zumba, and being able to eat a giant cream cheese cinnamon roll from Clark’s Fork in one sitting. My accomplishments are great, I know. But then there is the case of pecan pie, something that I repeatedly fall flat on my face every time I make it, which has been at least five times. Five holiday failures that began with such high hopes, and I still haven’t been able to get it right. It either turns out hard as a rock, or into a gooey nutty mess.

However, in spite of all of my failures, I have narrowed down a few of the problems. The biggest one adapted from the last recipe I attempted is the lack of booze. Bourbon to be precise, which not only helped me ease some of the sadness when the pie solidified into a rock, but it added a unique flavor! The next problem has been deciding whether or not to boil the filling. I have tried and failed at both. Which is incredibly upsetting, since I consider myself a pretty good baker. I really just needed to calm down and get back to basics, so a friend suggested a classic, ‘The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook,’ which was an excellent call very simple and to the point.

It called for no boiling, and no bourbon so I just threw back a few shots before hand, and tried my best to relax and stay optimistic. To my surprise it turned out wonderful. I thought i was going to have to go at it for a few rounds, but now i have two extra pie crusts in my fridge ready to thaw, and a whole bunch of pecans to use up.

Below is the adapted recipe with a few minor changes.

PECAN PIE

Serving Size: One Pie

INGREDIENTS:

FILLING

1 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup light corn syrup (I used a golden syrup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon Bourbon (optional)
2 cups pecans

DIRECTIONS:

Click here for my Pie Crust recipe. When you have the dough thawed, and rolled out in your pie pan. Line it with parchment paper, and fill with beans or rice and bake it in a 400°F for around 20 minutes. This helps eliminate any soggy bottoms.

Reduce oven to 375°F and Spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for around 10 minutes. Stirring halfway through for an even toasting.

In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter and the sugar. Add the remaining ingredients, in order, beating well with each addition. The pecans can be chopped or whole, just make sure you save some whole ones for the top if you want to make a pretty pattern. Carefully pour the filling into the prepared crust. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until filling is fairly set, it should feel firm to the touch with a bit of giggle underneath. Kind of like pushing a stick that's floating on pudding. I understand this is a very strange description, trust me, that's how it feels. The filling should firm up as it cools. Then you can top with whipped cream, ice cream, or whatever your heart desires.