It’s the season of celebrations!!! Come November and the non-stop festivities start. But nothing can beat the month of December for me. Everyone finds a little more in their heart at this time of the year. A little more joy, a little more giving and a little more loving! Forgive me if I am super happy to be born around this time. Yup, am a full-blown Sagittarius in every which way. And Of course, I digress. Now that my son is 5, he is able to understand and assimilate a lot of things that he didn’t last year. Christmas is one of them. There is something so magical about Christmas that it draws kids to it like a powerful magnet. And now that the attraction has sinked in, the questions have taken over.
Him- mom, why does Santa comes down through the chimney?
Me- umm, coz he comes after midnight when we have locked all our doors and turned on the alarm.
Him- mom, where does Santa hide his reindeers when he comes down the chimney?
Me- In the bushes.
Him- why?
Me- so that no one can steal them. They are magical, after all.
Him- Does Santa know our address?
Me- Of course
Him- How?
Me- coz he knows everything.
Him- Does he know we do not have a chimney?
Me- errrr, I don’t know.
Him- How will he enter our house then?
Me- I will write a letter to him requesting him to use the door instead.
Him- Good. While you are at it, can you also ask him to add a scarf to my (ever-growing) wish list?
Me 😳
Clearly he needs some lesson on showing restraint but then so do we. On Thanksgiving, I made this Pecan Pie after my son had asked for a pie for the umpteenth time. We loved it so so much that I made it again that week for our guests. Talk about restraint. It is such a stunning show stopper not only in looks but in taste too. Even when you have goofed up the main meal, you can very easily redeem yourself with this pie. It was every bit heavenly and delicious. Its crust is very flaky, not at all soggy and the best part is, it doesn’t require pre-baking. And the filling……….ummm…..is heavenly with all that molasses flavor going on. It has to be tried to know what I am talking about. The very humble of ingredients get a drooling, magical makeover. And what better time to try it other than the magical month!!!
(PS- I have adapted this recipe from Sallysbakingaddiction. It was such a perfect recipe that I didn’t need to make much changes. Please check out her blog for more awesomeness.)
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cup All purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 45 gms chilled and cubed unsalted Butter
- 74 gms chilled Vegetable Shortening
- 1/4 cup ice Water
- 300 gms Pecans
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 cup dark Corn Syrup (I used Karo brand)
- 1/2 cup loosely packed Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp Molasses (I used grandma's brand)
- 60 gms melted unsalted Butter
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and adjust the rack to lower third.
- In a bowl, whisk together egg, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract, molasses, salt, cinnamon and butter. Keep aside.
- In another bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add chilled butter cubes and shortening.
- Using fork or pastry cutter, cut the butter and shortening until it resembles a coarse mixture. The butter and shortening should not melt.
- Add little water at a time until the dough comes together.
- Make a ball, flatten it into a disc and wrap it in a plastic wrap. Then let it chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Using gentle force, start rolling the disc big enough to cover the base and sides of a 9 inch pie pan.
- Lift it up gently and arrange it into the pie pan. Press against the sides to make sure it adheres well.
- Spread pecans on the crust evenly all over. Pour the prepared egg mixture all over.
- Place it in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Serve it warm with whipped cream. Enjoy.
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