Martin Luther King Day Southern Double Pecan Pie

This Monday, when we COMMEMORATE Martin Luther King, Jr. for his contribution to civil rights in America, have a piece of Southern pecan pie in his honor. Southern pecan pie was Dr. King’s favorite dessert.

Deep Dish Southern Pecan Pie

Most recipes for Southern pecan pie are made with corn syrup, which softens the pastry filling and adds texture to the pie. Here’s a tried and true recipe from Sherian Davis Weiss, handed down through generations of her family in East Texas.

Thanks to Sherian Davis Weiss and her family for this authentic southern recipe

I make a version of Southern pecan pie that doesn’t use corn syrup. I make my crust from scratch and I decided to go all-nut, making the crust out of nuts instead of flour. Here’s the nut crust recipe, which I used for the “Cheesecake With Nut Crust” in Cook Your Way Through The S.A.T.:

Nut Crust:

• 3 cups pecans
• 4 tbsp sugar

Combine the pecans and sugar in a food processor and process until the oil begins to release from the nuts (the nuts will resemble a crust).

Surratt Farms pecans

Since I’m at school and have no ACCESS to a kitchen, I gave my Mom instructions and she did her best to follow my recipe. She used Texas pecans from Surratt Farms (recommended by Sherian Davis Weiss), which I had received as one of my Hanukkah gifts. They are really delicious. I call this recipe “double” pecan pie because both the pastry and crust are made of pecans.

Southern Double Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 ¼ cup Surratt Farms pecans
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 tbsp butter, melted

Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl.

Press the nut crust into a 9″ deep dish baking pan.

Pour the pie ingredients into the nut crust. Bake for 50 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve warm, directly from the oven, or cool.

My Mom decided she wanted to use another of my holiday gifts, the Williams and Sonoma fluted tart pan, to make individual pecan pies instead of a deep dish pie. Bake the individual pies at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Mom lined up all the ingredients for Southern Double Pecan Pie

Nut crust before being pressed into Williams and Sonoma fluted tart pan

The finished product

My Mom had my brother, Ross, CONFIRM that the pie is delicious.

Thumbs up from my brother, Ross

Happy 83rd birthday, Dr. King!

Charis and Jennie

• COMMEMORATE = honor
  
• ACCESS = entry
  
• CONFIRM = support