Pecan Pie: You’ll need these ingredients. photograph by Steve Gordon

Let’s start by measuring out the brown sugar. Remember, you will need to pack the sugar down in your measuring cup to get the proper amount. Just add the sugar, press it down good, add more to fill your measuring cup, then place it in a large mixing bowl. photograph by Steve Gordon

Here’s a quick tip for you. Spray the inside of your measuring cup with cooking spray before adding the next ingredient. It will make it much easier to clean up afterwards. Let’s see why. photograph by Steve Gordon

Measure out the Karo Corn Syrup in the measuring cup, after you’ve sprayed it with the cooking spray. This will help the syrup to release and make it much easier to clean the cup. Cool huh? photograph by Steve Gordon

Add the milk. photograph by Steve Gordon

Add the corn meal. This will help thicken it all up. photograph by Steve Gordon

Break the eggs into a small bowl, then whisk them with a fork. Add those to the mixture. It’s always good to crack eggs into a separate dish, so you can easily find any egg shell that might have fallen in. You don’t want that in your pie filling. photograph by Steve Gordon

Now, add a dash of salt. Just a little will do. photograph by Steve Gordon

Add the melted butter. I like to place the butter in the microwave for just about 10 seconds. Very easy to melt it down that way. photograph by Steve Gordon

You could add whole pecans if you like, or you can add pecan pieces. I picked these up at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh just a few days ago. They’re fresh and local, unlike those you find in the big mart stores. Pecans just weren’t as plentiful this year as in the past. I paid $10.00 for a one pound bag this year, they were $9.00 last year. photograph by Steve Gordon

I decided to chop them up a bit. It’s just a personal preference, do whichever way you prefer. photograph by Steve Gordon

Add the vanilla extract. I prefer the Southern Flavoring Happy Home brand from up in Virginia. They’ve been around for a very long time and make some great flavorings. It’s been sold by churches as a fund raiser for years and they still do it today. You’ll find it available from some of the inside vendors at the State Farmers Market. photograph by Steve Gordon

Add the pecans. photograph by Steve Gordon

Stir everything up really good. photograph by Steve Gordon

You’ll need to prepare your crust next. We’re using one made from scratch, but as mentioned, you could easily use a ready-made pie crust. We’ll use it as is, no pre-baking is needed. photograph by Steve Gordon

Add the filling to the pie crust. This is just enough for one 9 inch pie. photograph by Steve Gordon

To be safe, place the filled pie on a baking sheet. This is in case the pie were to bubble over once it starts baking. Just makes cleanup quick and easy, and keeps you from having to scrub down the bottom of the oven for awhile. You can thank me later. photograph by Steve Gordon

Place the baking sheet, with the pie, in your oven that has been pre-heated to 350ºF. The pie will need to bake for about 35-45 minutes, or until it tests done. You will need to bake it until it reaches an internal temperature of 200ºF, or by testing it with a wooden toothpick. Place the toothpick in the center of the baked pie and pull it out. If the toothpick comes out clean, the pie is done. photograph by Steve Gordon

The center of the pie should spring back a bit when pressed in the middle. That is, if it’s done. When it’s fully baked, remove the pie from the oven and sit it on a wire cooling rack. photograph by Steve Gordon

Let the pie cool completely, for about 3 hours, prior to slicing and serving. It firms up over time and should be easy to slice if given time. Because it uses less Karo syrup, it’s a bit more firm than most pecan pies. I do hope you’ll try it. photograph by Steve Gordon

Enjoy! photograph by Steve Gordon