Jan Norris: Food and Florida

Editor’s note: Readers, I’m asking for your recipes now through the winter holidays. Send them to me by clicking on “Contact” above, and emailing them to me. We’ll print many of these, and maybe send you a cookbook as a reward!

A Gracious Southerner Made a Fabulous Pie

Dinah Shore

The ever stylish Dinah Shore, well known singer, actress, golfer, philantropist, among other titles – hailed from Tennessee. She was by most accounts a fabulous cook and gracious hostess. I came across this recipe for her pecan pie, and found it’s quite close to the one my family prefers.

Pecan pies are a Southern staple at Thanksgiving; more on that later, with a story from Truman Capote.

Dinah Shore’s Lethal Pecan Pie

• 1-1/4 cups dark corn syrup
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups broken or coarsley chopped pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 9-inch pie shell, unbaked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine corn syrup and sugar. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow mixture to boil for two to three minutes; remove from heat and stir in butter.

In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs well. Continue to beat while slowly adding boiled syrup mixture. Stir in vanilla, pecans and salt.

To prevent spilling, pour only half of mixture into unbaked pie shell; place on baking sheet in center rack of oven. Pour in remaining mixture and bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until filling has set.

Note: You may need to wrap crust edges in foil to prevent burning before pie is done.

Remove, cool to room temperature and chill well before slicing.

Makes one 9-inch pie.

This pie freezes well. Keep leftovers refrigerated.