For as long as I can remember, we’ve had pecan pie for dessert on Thanksgiving. When we were kids, we’d get it for Christmas, too, if we behaved ourselves.
Our 2020 Thanksgiving had little in common with years past. Instead of 20 or 25 people at the gathering, we had three. I roasted a chicken instead of a turkey and used store-bought gravy. For dessert, I followed tradition and made my dad’s famous pecan pie. (Yes, we remembered to set our scales back 10 pounds for Thanksgiving.)
Active time: 15 minutes Total time: 1 hour
Specialized One-Butt Kitchen Utensils
- To mix the ingredients, there are several options. In my one-butt kitchen, I use an Immersion Hand Blender
with a whisk attachment or a Hand-Held Electric Mixer
. At home, I use a Countertop Mixer
. I haven’t tried it, but I imagine for this recipe you could also get by with a fork and a 2-minute arm workout.
- An Oven Thermometer
is necessary for two reasons. First, it indicates when the oven is preheated to the specified temperature. Second, it shows the actual temperature, which seldom matches what’s on the dial. My oven takes at least 10 minutes to preheat, and it’s usually about 10 degrees hotter than the dial.
- A Pizza Stone
on the rack helps distribute the heat of the oven. Without it, the pie is likely to burn above the heating element.
with a whisk attachment or a 
. At home, I use a 
. I haven’t tried it, but I imagine for this recipe you could also get by with a fork and a 2-minute arm workout.
is necessary for two reasons. First, it indicates when the oven is preheated to the specified temperature. Second, it shows the actual temperature, which seldom matches what’s on the dial. My oven takes at least 10 minutes to preheat, and it’s usually about 10 degrees hotter than the dial.
on the rack helps distribute the heat of the oven. Without it, the pie is likely to burn above the heating element.Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup dark corn syrup (light corn syrup will work too)
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1½ cups pecans
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (I use pre-made, frozen pie shells. If you need gluten-free, try Wholly Wholesome available at most grocery stores or Trader Joe’s.)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you are baking the pie in an RV oven, place a pizza stone on the rack.
Combine eggs, sugar, corn syrup, butter, vinegar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Beat for 2 minutes. With a spoon, stir in pecans. Pour the mixture into a pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes. If the pie jiggles when you take it out, let it cook a little longer.
Cool completely before slicing.
