A 1953 Pie for Thanksgiving
This Better Homes & Garden’s 1953 recipe for Southern Pecan Pie has been sitting in my Dad’s BH&G cookbook, unread and neglected for a few years now, so I thought it might be appropriate to bring it out into the light of day.
I checked around to see if dark corn syrup is still available, and it is: Karo still makes it, and it’s available through Instacart and Walmart and a very modest price. The dark corn syrup contains refiner’s sugar and has a caramel-molasses flavor, which is missing from a lot of commercially-made pies.
Here it is, in all it’s sugar-loaded glory, the real deal: Southern Pecan Pie
Southern Pecan Pie
One 9-inch unbaked pastry shell – this is a pie baked without a top crust, so only the shell is needed.
3 eggs
2/3 cup of sugar
1 cup dark brown corn syrup
1/3 cup of melted butter
1 cup of pecan halves
Instructions:
– Set oven temperature at 350F
– Beat the eggs thoroughly with sugar, a dash of salt (less than 1/4 teaspoon), corn syrup and melted butter.
– Add pecans and stir, to mix well.
– Pour into the unbaked pastry shell.
– Bake for 30 minutes at 350F or until a knife inserted into the filling comes out clean.
– Set pie aside to cool before serving.
Note: if you are going to make this pie and serve it with whipped cream, don’t get the squirt canister of “whipped topping”. There are several reasons for that, but the chief reason is that it is half & half plus additional skim milk. It is not whipping cream at all. Get a carton of real whipping cream or heavy cream, chill it in the fridge, and dig out the egg beater to whip the cream, just before cutting the pie. Be sure to add both plain sugar and vanilla extract to this, or it will be “ooky”, and the better the brand of vanilla, the better the real whipped cream tastes. Now, why would anyone serve good pecan pie with whipped topping? Because they ain’t Southerners and don’t know any better, that’s why.
Personally, I think it’s better with no topping at all, just a good cup of caffeine-loaded hot beverage (black tea or good coffee), and perhaps a small scoop of vanilla ice cream will do the trick.
If you want a recipe for the pastry shell, let me know. Pastry crust can be made ahead and chilled in a wrap until you’re ready to use it.
if you want to make your own sweet whipped cream, put cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a mason jar, close it tightly and shake it for 4-5 minutes…instant (sort of) whipped cream…
be careful with the powdered/confectioner’s sugar…a little goes a long way…
Vanilla ice cream on top when served.
Then a nap. Then leftover turkey and more Pecan Pie.
1953! A VERY GOOD YEAR! Southern Pecan Pie. The VERY BEST DESERT…EVAH! And NO!!! NO!!! NO!!! A Thousand Times NOOOOOOOOO!!! You NEVER EVAH put ANY KIND of whipped topping on a true Southern Pecan Pie…Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is acceptable. And that’s whether you pronounce it Peh-Kahn or Pee-can. The Baby Grand Daughter was preparing to make The Grand Papa and Her Great Aunt J______ some of these for the Thanksgiving Feast. The Chinese Communist Bug that infected SnL’s buddy (and maybe SnL) is keeping the Gun Bunny from making the trip. DAMNIT!!!! You can find the dark Karo or other dark molasses syrups down heah at just about any grocery store. Put some South in yo Mouf…y’all!
And just so those that haven’t been keeping up will know, we present this Public Service Announcement…
Well, now, GunBunny, you know that some people just do not understand that whipped cream does not go on everything. Jell-O, yes, but not on campground brownie pie, for instance.
Sometimes, you just have to shake your head and let them learn for themselves, that’s all.
For those who like to cook under pressure….. Instant Pot Bourbon Pecan Pie Ingredients For the crust: 1 1/2 cups water Cooking spray 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 tablespoon honey 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt For the filling: 3 large eggs 2/3 cup light corn syrup 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons molasses 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/4 cups pecan halves Whipped cream, for serving Instructions Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the steam rack in the bottom of the 6-quart electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot and add 1 1/2 cups water. Coat a 7 or 8-inch springform pan (whichever will fit in the pressure cooker) with cooking spray. Wrap the outside of the pan with aluminum foil to prevent the filling from leaking. Melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and stir until evenly moistened. Transfer to the pan and press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides in an even layer. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely. Make the filling: Place 3 large eggs, 2/3 cup light corn syrup, 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons molasses, 2 tablespoons bourbon if desired, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Place 1 1/4 cups pecan halves in an even layer in the crust. Pour the filling over the pecans. Cover with a paper towel and a piece of aluminum foil. Make a handle by folding a 16-inch long sheet of aluminum lengthwise into a 1 1/2-inch wide strip. Place the strip under the pan and lower it onto the steam rack. Lock the lid on and make sure the valve is set to seal. Cook under HIGH pressure for 28 to 32 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release. Remove the lid and use the foil handles to remove the pie.… Read more »
Bourbon Pot Pie:
Pour one once of Westford Reserve double oaked Bourbon into a shot glass.
Slowly sip and let it sit under the tongue sub lingual.
Contemplate the dank barrel finish of the oak staves.
Think good thoughts about America and her history.
Pour another.
Let out a few Turkey calls to mark the Day.
Pour another.
Isn’t Wild Turkey 101 the official Bourbon of Thanksgiving?
1953………..I was 1 y.o.
I used to have a 53 International R185 dump truck.
Built like a tank with a small 7 yd dump body.
Double clutching and split shifting joy to operate.
It was a good year!
Me too. ’52 was a very good year.
Perfection, Ex-PH2, perfection.
And yes to no whipped cream on Pecan Pie. If you want to add some creaminess, put it in your coffee or tea.