My Meemaw's Pecan Pie is so delicious, there’s never a crumb left behind.

My mom’s grandmother—Meemaw, as she was affectionately called by her grandkids and great-grandkids—was already quite elderly by the time I came around. I didn’t get to know her as deeply as I would have liked, but the stories I've heard paint a picture of a woman who was as kind as could be, grew the most amazing vegetables in her small Alabama town, and was an expert in the kitchen. (One of the great regrets in my mom's life is that Meemaw never jotted down her legendary chocolate chip cookie recipe.)

However, there is one recipe Meemaw did write down: her famous pecan pie. Earlier this year, my Aunt Nancy passed it along to me, and she promises that every time she bakes it, there are never any leftovers.

How to Prepare Meemaw's Pecan Pie

The pecan tree in Meemaw’s front yard dropped a bounty of nuts each fall, making it the perfect ingredient for her go-to Thanksgiving dessert. While the recipe shares similarities with the classic version found on the Karo Corn Syrup bottle, there are some key differences that make hers stand out:

• The Karo recipe calls for ¼ cup more white sugar than Meemaw’s slightly-less-sweet version.
• Meemaw’s recipe has a pinch of salt to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients. 
• You’ll need a cup of pecans for both recipes, but Meemaw’s version calls for ½ cup chopped and ½ cup halved for a particularly attractive presentation. 

Meemaw's Signature Pecan Pie Recipe

Ingredients List

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 3 large eggs, beaten 
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter or Oleo (margarine), melted
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• Unbaked pastry crust (homemade or store-bought) 
• ½ cup pecan halves

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, sugar, salt, and butter (or margarine). Stir in the chopped pecans until well mixed.
3. Fit the pastry crust into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing it along the bottom and up the sides. Crimp the edges for a decorative touch.
4. Pour the pecan filling into the prepared crust, then arrange the pecan halves on top for a beautiful finish.
5. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the filling is firm and set.

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