Josiah’s Pecan Pie
1. In a bowl, combine:
o two (2) tbs melted butter
o three (3) wholesome eggs
o one (1) cup blend of (a) half sorghum syrup and half Karo light syrup or (b) half regular molasses and half Karo light syrup [note: some people do and some do not like the taste of sorghum syrup, so the molasses alternative is provided]
o 7/8 cup granulated sugar
o 1-3/4 tsp fine vanilla extract
o one (1) healthy splash of good-quality bourbon
o plenty of pecans: (i) halves are great but pieces are just fine and taste the same, and (ii) if you can
get the smaller size, "native" pecans, use them because they are the tastiest variety
2. Now here is where finesse comes in. The goal is a pie that is focused on the pecan, a pie in which the filling is not really filling but rather a sort of cement or mortar (to analogize to masonry or building a stone wall), holding the pecans in place and letting them provide the majority of the flavor. On the other hand, you do not want a flat, dry pecan tarte. Use your judgment—but absolutely do not skimp on the pecans such that they will be found at the end floating atop a sea of filling. So if your pie plate is relatively shallow, reserve, say, 1/4 of the mixture and add 1-3/4 cups pecans to the rest. If the result is too dense with pecans, then add more of the reserved portion of the mixture. If the result is too thin and runny, add more pecans. If your pie dish is deeper, then go ahead with the full amount of the mixture and add an additional half cup of pecans. For the pecans, use the small, native pecans if you can get them—they are the tastiest—but in any event pieces work just as well as halves, and the pie will cut more easily if you use pieces.
3. Using pie weights, prebake the crust in the pie plate, but not too much.
4. Add the mixture with the pecans to the crust. Remember that the baking expands the mixture slightly so do not overfill.
5. Bake at 350 degrees. The timing varies depending on depth of the pie dish and unknown and uncontrollable factors such as barometric pressure. A rule of thumb is about 55 min. or so, but definitely check it at about 40-45 minutes, and if the crust is getting too brown, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pie. If in doubt about done-ness, insert the tines of a fork to judge.
6. Enjoy!
