Warm Gooey Pecan Pie

Yes, technically turkey is the star of Thanksgiving, but honestly, I'm here for the desserts!

I think there are two quintessential Thanksgiving desserts, at least in my house, which would be Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie! My grandma has a super special Pumpkin Pie recipe that will be coming later! Today, I'm here to talk about Pecan Pie!

Confession time: I actually didn't like Pecan Pie until about two years ago. I spent my whole childhood believing that I hated nuts; I mean, not just didn't like them, I mean hated. If my mom accidentally ordered me a brownie with nuts, I would spend a solid ten minutes picking out all the nuts. But, as old age has matured me, I have come to appreciate and value the place nuts hold in baked goods! Although, you probably won't see me snacking on just plain pecans anytime soon. But it's about progress, not perfection, as my mom always says.

I will say that when I tried my first bite of Pecan Pie after 22 years on Earth, I felt the world come unhinged as I realized I had missed out on so many delicious opportunities! The pecans get all toasty and crunchy on the top and the filling is sweet and gooey and full of deliciousness! Gosh, my mouth is seriously watering! But as I am typing this in the morning, it probably wouldn't be right to get a slice for breakfast...

Is it acceptable to have pie for breakfast, instead of a donut? Asking for a friend...

Since this is typically a Thanksgiving dessert, and I know that I don't have to tell anyone about how stressful the holidays are, I have another little tip for Thanksgiving Day prep! Use a frozen pie crust. Oh, the horror! A premade pie crust for Thanksgiving?!? How could you?!

Seriously, I doubt anyone would even know, and if they did, are they really going to call you out on it? Pie crust is delicious, but it's definitely the sidekick of flavors to this dessert. There is so much prep and work to do with thawing the turkey, brining the turkey, drying out bread for stuffing, peeling potatoes, making pies, ironing the linens, etc. etc. If your plate is already full, don't stress about making the pie crust! Feel free to take little shortcuts throughout the day to make it a little bit easier on yourself.

I once knew a woman who made, hands down, the best turkey I've ever had. I mean, this turkey was so juicy and tender, you didn't even need a knife to cut it! I mean, I typically don't go back for seconds with turkey, but I would with this one. Her secret? Literally, every other dish on the table came from a box or a can. Boxed mashed potatoes, boxed stuffing, canned cranberries, canned yams, everything! But because she wasn't the best multitasker, she was able to take those shortcuts to be able to focus on the turkey.

Don't feel the need to go that extreme, but you get my point. So thaw out that frozen pie crust and get to baking! You don't want another second to go by without having this Pecan Pie in your life!

Ingredients:

1 frozen pie crust

2 cups of pecans

3 large eggs

½ cup of corn syrup

1 cup of brown sugar

¼ of a cup of butter, melted

1 and ½ teaspoons of vanilla

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of salt

To begin, preheat the oven to 350 degrees! If you are using a frozen pie crust, set the crust out to thaw.

Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-second increments, until fully melted. Set aside to cool. In a bowl, combine eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt! Then add in the cooled melted butter.

Take about ½ cup of pecans and chop them into small pieces! Add the chopped pecans into the filling, then pour the filling into the thawed pie crust. I like to take the remaining pecans and line them around the pie until the top of the filling is completely covered. I mean, it's the holidays, they deserve the extra effort!

Bake the pie for about an hour to an hour and ten minutes! The crust will be golden brown, and the inside will be firm and set!

I let the pie cool for about 30 minutes, and then serve with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream!

This pie is simply heavenly! I love the toasty pecans on the top with the ooey-gooey filling and the buttery flakey pie crust! So delicious and so full of holiday cheer!

-Holly Michelle