Gran's Pecan Pie Recipe

by Becca Matheson, Tastemaker in Residence

The love of a Gran is a precious thing and it’s miraculously able to be experienced through taste, once a year, when a Gran bakes her famous pecan pies: the delicious pecan pies of Barbara Morrison, the best Gran that there is. 

The crust of these pecan pies is flaky with the perfect amount of flavor and crisp. The filling is sweet and sticky, and the perfectly toasted pecans add that special depth that can’t be found with untoasted ones. Gran’s trick is to not handle the crust too much or it’ll get tough. Just fold the crust gently and make sure you have enough salt. 

The best part of baking with Gran is the cinnamon toasties that she makes for snacking. The excess pie crust is cut into strips and dusted with cinnamon sugar. It’s essential to keeping the hungry fingers of the helpers/grandchildren out of the pies until they’re ready to be eaten. It’s always an extra special treat and a sneak peek of how the pies will turn out. 

Gran has taught her daughters and granddaughters the tricks to this special pie, but while her level of perfection is strived for, only a Gran as good as this one can get them just right. The hands that make these pies are special hands. They’ve given so much, and that must add to the magic of her pies. It takes her beautiful hands and heart to make them full of a Gran’s love, which is, after all, the secret ingredient to the best Pecan Pie in the world. Baking these pies with Gran is like baking special memories. The memories will be cherished long after the pie runs out.