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The pecan is native to North America, growing wild along the rivers of the Mississippi Valley and Texas, where it was a staple food for Native peoples for thousands of years. Texas made the pecan its state tree, and Louisiana and Georgia grow it on a vast scale. New Orleans turned it into pralines.

Pecan pie as we know it took shape in the twentieth century, when corn syrup brands helped popularize the rich, set filling. Today it is the essential Southern Thanksgiving pie, sweet, toasty and best with a cup of strong coffee.

Pralines and pecans in New Orleans

In New Orleans, praline shops in the French Quarter still cook the candy in copper pots, and pecan pie is on every bakery menu in the fall. For where to eat, read our New Orleans food scene.

Toast the pecans

Toasting the pecans before baking deepens their flavor. A little bourbon and a pinch of salt cut through the sweetness, and dark brown sugar adds a caramel note.

Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch pie.

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, chilled
• 2 cups (200 g) pecan halves
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) light corn syrup or golden syrup
• 3/4 cup (150 g) dark brown sugar
• 4 tbsp (55 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp fine salt

Method

1. Toast the pecans. Heat the oven to 350°F. Toast the pecans on a baking sheet for 8 minutes, until fragrant. Cool.
2. Make the filling. Whisk together the eggs, syrup, sugar, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla and salt until smooth.
3. Fill. Scatter the pecans in the crust, keeping some of the best halves to arrange on top, and pour over the filling. Arrange the reserved halves on top.
4. Bake. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the filling is set at the edges and just slightly wobbly in the center. Cover the edges with foil if they brown too quickly.
5. Cool. Cool completely, at least 2 hours, so the filling sets before slicing.

How to serve it

At room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

What to pour

A small glass of bourbon, a tawny port or strong black coffee.

Make a menu of it

Serve with our sweet potato pie for a Southern dessert table, and look for pumpkin pie tomorrow. If you would rather buy, see the best holiday pies around Boston and New Hampshire. Every recipe is At the Table.

Photo: Joe Hakim, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0