Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pecan Pie

Did you know today is National Pecan Day? So why not celebrate with pie?  Pecan Pie doesn't only  have to be at Thanksgiving you know.

But here’s the thing. I don’t actually like pecan pie.  I want to like pecan pie, because it looks pretty and smells so inviting.  Then I try it and (to me) it’s just missing something.

So then I was baking for a bake sale (I did a lot of bake sale baking this past spring - it was a fundraiser to send Dude to Rome (also why this pie, like Shoofly Pie, has a mini pie to go with it - my disposable pie tins were tiny!))  With the bake sale, I decided that it was the perfect time to experiment with flavors.

Previously, when I’ve tried pecan pie, I felt like it was missing something and decided that something was cinnamon.  I’m a pretty firm believer that if a recipe is “missing something” it can usually be fixed with salt, garlic (for savory), chocolate, or cinnamon.  

I like adding cinnamon to things so much, my mom had decided that I’m obsessed with cinnamon, but I don’t care, because cinnamon, combined with the fuller depth of flavor from the brown sugar, made the pecan pie I’d always hoped for! I don’t know what anyone else thought of my changes, since this went to a bake sale, but Hubs and I loved it!

Sunday Funday

Pecans

• Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pecan Pie by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Creamy Mixed Green Salad With Apple & Pecans by Sneha's Recipe
• German Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Coconut Pecan Icing by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pain de Pecan by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pecan Pie Brownies by Food Lust People Love

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Pecan Pie

Adapted slightly from Simply Delicious

Crust

1 cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces

3-4 tablespoon water

Filling

4 eggs

1 cup light corn syrup

⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

2 - 2 ½ cups pecan halves, divided

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

To make the crust, whisk together the flour and salt.  Add the butter and work in until small crumbles form.  Add the water and lightly knead until a firm dough forms.

Roll into a circle large enough to fit a deep 9-inch pie plate, crimp the edges.

To make the filling, place the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Chop 1 ½ cups of the pecans and stir into the filling mix.  Pour the filling into the pie crust (note: if using a foil pan, there may be too much filling, so watch closely during pouring and consider making a mini pie).

Neatly layer the remaining pecan halves over the top of the pie.  Place the pie plate on a baking sheet in case of overflow, then place in the preheated oven and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the edges are set and center is slightly jiggly.

Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then chill in the refrigerator overnight before cutting and serving.