Best Pecan Pie Recipe

There are a number of factors that make this the best Pecan Pie recipe: the addition of sour cream counter-balances the sweetness of the sugar; the Easy Pie Crust Recipe is baked blind, producing a really crisp result; but most of all, I like to bake this pie in a really wide, shallow tart tin. The pastry is rolled very thin and then the mixture spreads out and forms a thin layer. Pecan Pies are so sweet that all you need is a thin wedge, not a very deep cloying chunk. This is, after all, an end to a meal, not a meal in itself! However, if you do want to make a deeper pie, just adjust the cooking times.

In this recipe, the sugar and golden syrup boil for a few minutes. This helps to create a rich, gooey filling. The ingredients used here are very similar to those used for making toffee, so essentially, a Pecan Pie is made around a soft, squidgy, toffee-style filling.

The thing that makes this the best pecan pie recipe, in our book, is that the pecans are roasted prior to the pie being assembled. This gives an intensity to the pie and really brings out the flavor of the nuts.

Golden syrup is a product that is widely available in England, Australia and South Africa, Tate and Lyle being the foremost brand. It is available in the USA in delicatessen stores and online. If you are not able to find any, you can substitute with corn syrup.

You will need a 12½ inch / 32 cm diameter loose bottom tart tin.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Place the pecan nuts on a baking sheet and roast at 350° F / 180° C for about 10 minutes. Check to see that they don't burn.
2. Add the sugar and golden syrup to a pot and heat slowly. Add the butter and vanilla essence. Slowly bring to the boil. Simmer for about 2 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the 3 beaten eggs, the sour cream and the salt.
4. Roughly chop half of the nuts and scatter them over the pie base. Pour the filling over the top. Now, arrange the remaining pecan halves attractively over the top.
5. Bake at 350° F / 180° C for about 15 minutes for a very thin pie, and up to 40 minutes if your pie is deeper. A skewer should just come out clean when the pie is set.