molasses bourbon pecan pie

You know the very best thing about blogging? All the wonderful people that you meet.

Technically I haven't 'met' all of them, but it always brings a smile when I see friendly faces in my inbox.

Some readers write to tell me about trying new cooking techniques. Others share recipes from their neck of the woods.

Last year Doc Smith wrote and introduced himself. Doc grew up on his Grandmother's cooking in south-western Mississippi. Eating three meals a day at the table, all made on a wooden stove in a kitchen built off the house to help with the heat and humidity. Later in life, Doc realised that very few people baked or enjoyed "sit down at the table" meals, so he dug out his Grandmother's old recipes and learned to bake.

When Doc sent me his recipe for Molasses Bourbon Pecan Pie last year, I knew I had to try it. I love the whole salty/sweet/sticky combination that molasses brings to recipes.  It's a superb pie that's simple to make. Doc calls it his tribute to sugar and lard!

Molasses Bourbon Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 cup molasses (8oz)
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs beaten
3 tablespoon bourbon (2oz)
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch of salt
2 cups pecan halves
1 x 9" pie crust (I made my own pastry and blind baked it before adding the pecans)

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF)
2. To make the filling, combine the sugar, eggs, bourbon, melted butter, vanilla and salt in a large bowl.
3. Place pecan halves in bottom of pie crust, then carefully pour the filling over the pecans.
4. Place on center oven rack and bake 50 minutes to 1 hour.

I served this pie with dollop cream and there weren't any leftovers to photograph after my family were finished! Australian's don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but we'll never pass on an opportunity to eat pie!

Was your grandmother a good cook?
Have any recipes been handed down from previous generations?