A Southern Grace: pride-worthy pecan pie (and a giveaway)

September 24, 2012

pride-worthy pecan pie (and a giveaway)

Yum


Oh, Southern Living. You know the way to my heart, and it most definitely involves sugar.


I know a few of you out there are cookbook aficionados, so you probably already own Classic Southern Desserts: All-Time Favorite Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Puddings, Cobblers, Ice Cream & More,but I didn't know it existed until I was asked to review it. What a book, folks. There are more than 200 dessert recipes, from banana pudding cheesecake to praline bundt cake and from bourbon balls to sweet potato cobbler.


The book is neatly organized by type of dessert and there are pictures for every recipe--that's often a deal-breaker for me when it comes to cookbooks. At first flip-through, I spotted no less than ten treats to bookmark, and I'm sure I'll pick many more in the time to come. This would be a great cookbook to add to one's collection, whether you're from the South or not.


Would you like to win a copy? You would if you're a rational person. All you have to do is leave a comment on this page telling me your favorite type of layer cake--the more details, the better! Do you make a special filling or just use the frosting inside and out? Do you moisten the layers with syrup? What type of frosting, and is it flavored? What kind of cake--I love specifics! I'll close comments next week on the first of October and contact the winner shortly thereafter. Good luck!

Goo.

For a different take on pecan pie, check out my pecan pie bars at The Southern Coterie!

Mom's Pecan Pie
Republished with permission from Southern Living Classic Southern Desserts, Oxmoor House 2012

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup light or dark corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (9-inch) deep-dish frozen unbaked pie shell
Directions:
Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
Stir together eggs and next 5 ingredients; stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie shell.
Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until set, shielding pie with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Serve warm or cold.

66 comments:

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

That pie looks ever so droolworthy!

I love SL! A difficult question... at the moment, I really love my "Drop Dead Chocolate Cake" as it is sinfully chocolaty, smooth/moist and divine tasting.

Cheers,

Rosa

Alicia Foodycat said...

That's a gorgeous pecan pie - I love it when they drool with syrup.

I suspect that as I am outside the US I am not eligible for the prize, but I do love a coffee layer cake, with boozy coffee syrup and lots of buttercream between the layers!

Rosita Vargas said...

Un pie maravilloso está muy tentador..mmmm... iré a buscar mi café y me llevo un trozo,abrazos hugs,hugs.

April @ PolkaDots n' PinkySwears said...

My favorite layer cake would be a moist carrot cake with extra cream cheese frosting!! :)

Unknown said...

I love a cookbook with a picture for every recipe! And I love pecan pie even more!

Kathleen said...

This pie recipe is quick and easy, it's going to be my go to for Pecan Pie...

My favorite layer cake to make is my signature Chocolate Cake in which I took first place last year at a local fair for Hershey's Chocolate Cake and was automatically entered in our state competition sponsored by Hershey Corp.

Double layer of dark chocolate recipe, in between layers I add a homemade gouache in the middle, Chocolate Icing and topped off with another layer of gouache and mini semi sweet morsels...

I made this cake for my birthday this year also and it was a big hit..!
Here is a link to see a pic...scroll down a bit, the pic is near the end of page...

http://kskronicles.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-month-of-july-comes-another-year.html

Indian Cook said...

Thanks guys for sharing this wonderful and delicious recipe of pie, lovely effort by chief, I'll definitely ask my wife to prepare it this weekend

Sue/the view from great island said...

I don't often make layer cakes, probably because I have trouble resisting them. My all time favorite has to be my mom's classic birthday cake: Dark chocolate cake with vanilla bean buttercream...

Erica said...

Pecan pie ..it is my favorite pie! I absolutely love it! What a great book,Grace and your pictures are amazing!

vkochis said...

I once made a caramel apple layer cake that I cobbled together from several different recipes. I was really, really pleased with it - sauteed apples as the filling, caramel buttercream, spice cake....

And of course I have no recollection of how I did it...

Anonymous said...

Any pecan pie is a good pie!

I made Ina's coconut cake and it was delicious, moist, light,
with just enough coconut.

Kathy Walker said...

My mom makes the absolute best pecan pie! As I think about it....they are all the best! I love fall!! It is filled with foods that I love...

Anonymous said...

actually i'm not really a layer cake lover myself. nope. cookies on the other hand.......

fruitcrmble AT comcast DOT net

Anonymous said...

Oh baking is my downfall and the reason why I will never wear size 0 or 2 or 4.... I love to my a mocca cream pie with a biscuit cake layer topped with whipped cream infused with very dark chocolate and a it of coffee flavour. To make it pretty I dust it with cocoa powder and garnish it with mocca beans (chocolate that looks like a bean and taste like coffee)

lisa is cooking said...

What a great-looking pie! I think my favorite layer cake might be the butterscotch pecan cake I made for my birthday a few years ago.

Camille Thomas said...

That pie looks amazing.

The best layer cake I've made is a recipe I dug out of my mother's book ages ago. It's a pistachio cake, made with white cake mix and pistachio pudding....The Frosting is also made with pistachio pudding. Slice it up, layer it, and it is probably the most delicious cake you've ever tried. Not overbearing with the pistachio - just perfect!!!

Tonya said...

My favorite cake (of course being from the South) is Red Velvet cake. With heavy handed layers of cream cheese frosting. Drooool. I prefer pecans in the icing also.

Unknown said...

My favourite cake is carrot cake with bits of pineapple in it to keep it moist. It absolutely must be slathered inside and out with a cream cheese frosting.

Terri said...

My favorite is chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting.

vklmarie78@gmail.com

April was in CA now MA said...

My step-mom makes something called an Italian Cream Cake and it's so good. I have no idea what all goes into it and I've never asked because I'm too busy stuffing my face with it.

Blond Duck said...

I want the book. And the pie.

Robin said...

My most favorite layer cake is quite boring I guess. Chocolate cake layered with vanilla buttercream and sprinkled with a rainbow assortment of those little sprinkles shaped like flowers. Reminds me of an old fashion birhday cake- always festive!

Pattie said...

My favorite layer cake is carrot cake. Yes, I moisten the layers and cover it all with cream cheese frosting.

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

Mmmm my favourite layer cake is the death by chocolate creation where each layer is a different form of chocolatey dessert - honestly it's a kill me situation if you don't try it ;)
Your pecan pie looks perfect what a stunning dessert :D

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru

Sarah said...

I would love that book! My favourite layer cake is Hummingbird Cake and I use the frosting between the layers.

Anonymous said...

I would love to win this cookbook! My favorite cake would be my Mom's Chocolate cake. It's a cream cheese pound cake made into 3 layers and it's iced with a boiled chocolate icing that is out of this world!!! (Almost like fudge). As a matter of fact after she ices the cake, if she has leftovers in the pot she throws in some toasted pecans and drops spoonfuls on waxed paper, DELICIOUS !!!!
Kara
qmellett@carolina.rr.com

Julie M. said...

I swear, Southern Living is my second husband. Can't get enough of them! There is no better cookbook than one that focuses on desserts. I could definitely use myself a copy of that.

It's seriously hard to pick a favorite cake as cake in general is a slice of heaven for me. If I had to pick one I would say a super moist three layer chocolate cake, maybe made with sour cream or mayo and perhaps a splash or three of strong coffee, and a caramel frosting between the layers with a little toffee crumble thrown on top for good measure.

Holtnotes said...

I love a spice cake with my moms penuche frosting. Yum.

SusanH

Phyllis said...

My favorite layer cake is an Old Fashioned Lemon Cheese Cake. It is made with your favorite yellow cake layers. The filling is a homemade lemon curd. Sometimes it was frosted with a Seven Minute Frosting or with the lemon curd. The cake is truly the Belle of Southern Cakes. When I made wedding cakes, the bride would request the Lemon Cheese Filling between the layers.

Ally said...

Oh man, layer cakes. Any layer cake is good by me! We have a triple chocolate fudge cake (with a chocolate cake layer, a frosting layer, another chocolate cake layer, a chocolate fudge layer, another chocolate cake layer, and then more chocolate frosting all over) that is fabulous! I also like lavender cake with lemon curd between the layers.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

My favourite cake after all of these years is still a dense moist carrot cake slathered in cream cheese frosting. I soak the layers in a buttermilk wash for extra moisture and flavour.

Angie's Recipes said...

What a heavenly pecan pie!
My favourite layer cake could be the black forest cake as it's the first layer cake I have baked for my family.

Randi Lynne said...

My grandma makes an Italian Cream Cheese cake loaded with pecans and coconut and of course a cream cheese icing. It's a family favorite.

grace-anne said...

My favorite layer cake is a carrot cake made by one of my Mother's best friends. It's a spin-off on the classic doberge cake...seven thin layers of carrot cake with thin layers of cream cheese icing. I made and entered this cake at our state fair and won a
2nd place ribbon.

Anonymous said...

My favorite layer cake is a takeoff of Boston creme pie - yellow cake, vanilla custard filling, chocolate buttercream and ganache. Yum!!

Di/mom2riandkayl

Barbara Palermo said...

My favorite layer cake would be a moist carrot cake with extra cream cheese frosting. Thanks!!

Patricia Wojnar Crowley said...

My favorite layer cake would be milk chocolate cake with layers of homemade buttercream icing!

tcrowley122 at hotmail dot com

DB said...

One of my favoite layer cakes is strawberry swirl with a sour cream/cool whip frosting and fresh strawberries on top. So yummy!

Heidi said...

I love chocolate chocolate chocolate cake!

Katerina said...

The pecan pie looks absolutely divine! Although I live outside the US and I don't believe I am eligible I love my cake with as many layers of chocolate as possible and on top a chocolate frosting just to conclude the decadence!

karen said...

I love layer cakes, hard to pick one favorite. I do love german chocolate cake, and I always frost the sides with a chocolate buttercream.
karenreichmann@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

My favorite layer cake is a Hummingbird Cake. Funny name, but delicious with a cream cheese frosting.Thanks for the giveaway!

Unknown said...

My favorite layer cake is a classic red velvet cake with my mother's frosting, and only her frosting, no cream cheese frosting, no coconut and no pecans....simply delicious!

Kate said...

I am rather a cake snob because I love fruit desserts so much! The ways with fruits are the customary pies, tarts, crumbles and shortcakes... of which I am happy to inhale.
I did tweak a cake recipe, added in my preferences and came up with a work team requested buffet addition and it even became our daughter's wedding cake that was given thumbs up by the caterer!
Pound cake layers split with alternating fillings of cream custard and homemade jams. The cream layer gets a sprinkling of fresh fruit depending on the jam showcased. It's the cake best in our house.

Anonymous said...

It's heaven on a plate, pecans, sugar, butter. Love Southern Living and their sense of class and taset.
cyndihamm22@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

My favorite cake- chocolate fudge- the kind with mayo and a rich buttery chocolate frosting.
It's dreamy!
thanks for sharing
allegra@allegratuscany@gmail.com

Mimi said...

It wouldn't be fall without pecan pie(or candy pie as we call it).
One of my favorite cakes is a Lane Cake, a vanilla cake with a cherry and nut filling and a creamy vanilla frosting.
Mimi

Marjie said...

I keep meaning to try a pecan pie. I am so afraid of failure!

My favorite layer cake would have to be a white cake with strawberry filling containing sliced strawberries, of course, and a white frosting, maybe buttercream, or boiled frosting. It's a light, delicious and wonderful dessert.

I Wilkerson said...

Even as a northerner, I know there is nothing like a great pecan pie (except perhaps a perfect peach cobbler or ...)

One of my favorite cakes is a Danish Layer Cake. It is a white/yellow cake with many layers spread with custard and raspberry. The outside has whipped cream (probably most traditional) or white buttercream (my favorite). I'm getting hungry just mentioning it!

artofnaturalliving at live dot com

Erika said...

My favorite layer cake is made from a jazzed up white box mix. The icing, embarrassingly, has way too much Crisco and powdered sugar. But it is soooo good, and is the perfect "birthday" cake.

Savor The Baking said...

Pecan pie is my favorite pie. My favorite layer cake is a carrot cake with pineapples and pecans, Sometimes I put coconut in it. I put a homemade cream cheese frosting on the outside and in between the layers. I also put finely chopped pecans on the top of the cake.

The Squishy Monster said...

I love how all the spiced pastries and chock fulla nut pies are coming out of hibernation--THIS is a prime example of how yummy Autumn is.

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

Southern Cooking and desserts is such a killer combo! I swear, I'm Southern underneath it all ;)

Faith said...

Oh my, I could go for a slice of that beauty right now! My favorite layer cake is one my mama makes -- chocolate mocha cake, sweet coconut/pecan filling and topping, and mocha frosting. She's actually making it for my birthday on Sunday! :)

Unknown said...

oooh...pecan pie is my FAVORITE!!!! Ok...layer cake...the best I've ever made was rich chocolate cake with a fresh strawberry filling and a light, creamy, smooth milk chocolate icing. mmmm (I have a huge thing for chocolate and strawberries)

Beth said...

Swoon. It looks incredible. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I'll go with a two-layer chocolate cake that has a creamy raspberry filling and a marshmallowy-chocolate icing. It's wonderful, and was a huge favorite when I served it for my book group!

Carolyn Jung said...

I can't say I'm a lover of pecan pie. But that close-up pic has even me drooling. ;)

Unknown said...

That pecan pie looks mouth watering. I may not be a fan but just the way it looks maybe I will. Thanks for sharing.
Home Extensions Perth

The Teacher Cooks said...

I love pecan pie or pecan tassies! My all time favorite layered cake is German Chocolate Cake with the icing loaded with pecans and coconut! YUM I want some now as well as the cookbook!

Barbaraw said...

We are definitely on the same wave length....first the apple pie ice cream you'd love and now pecan pie I'd love. In fact, I've made two in the last month!
Divine photos. Oh my.
Fabulous cookbook prize, Grace. I love SL.

Pam said...

Good Lord Grace... you have me drooling for pecan pie at 8:16 a.m. YUM!

Karly said...

I must have that pie in my face immediately.

kristinayellow said...

Love yellow cake with chocolate icing and sprinkles. Then again I'm 9 months preggers so all cake sounds good.

BamaCarol said...

Oh my favorite layer cake is fresh strawberry with cream cheese icing studded with strawberry pieces. The cake itself is so moist! I keep it in the fridge because eating it cold is simply wonderful in the heat of the Alabama summers. Would love to win the cookbook and add it to my collection.

Laura said...

Excellent pie. I love lemon cake layers with strawberries and a lemon buttercream. I.e., my wedding cake. :)

I am currently obsessed with Vampire Diaries. Feeling ho hum about Revolution--I hate all the characters except the bad guys! Kind of enjoyed Last Resort but not sure I really like it.

Kristin said...

I love Italian cream cake....coconut, pecans, cream cheese icing. What could be better?