Thanksgiving is about counting our blessings and being grateful to the one who blesses us. I lost a dear cousin and friend recently and it made me realize how blessed we are each day to wake up with the ones we love in our lives.  

For much of my life Thanksgiving Day was the shake-the-pecan-tree party day. With several productive pecan trees this was a big event. It didn't seem like work because we did it together, laughed a lot, and enjoyed being outside in beautiful fall weather (you can't shake trees in the rain). In retrospect we were blessed because none of the family daredevils (my boys ranked high in this category) who climbed to the topmost limbs of the trees ever fell out and suffered major hurts.  

Bonus: we got some much needed exercise after feasting on all the Thanksgiving goodies, that is, if you discount the return trips to the table after we finished all the pecan picking. With a ready source of fresh pecans you can bet we created some melt-in-your-mouth delicacies through the years. Here are a few of my faves. 

Black Bottom Pecan Pie  

1 prepared pie crust

3 tablespoons butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Beat butter with sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Pour into crust.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. (Tip: cover edges of pie crust with foil to prevent over browning.) 

Topping

2 eggs

½ cup sugar

½ cup corn syrup

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pecans 

Beat eggs with sugar. Add corn syrup, flour, butter, and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Spoon mixture over the baked filling and return to oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil from edges of pie and bake 15 or 20 more minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.  

Pecan Pie Muffins 

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Crust

½ cup pecans, finely chopped and mixed with ¼ cup brown sugar 

Combine sugar, pecans, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add butter, eggs, and vanilla.  Grease muffin pans or spray with cooking spray. Press down 1 teaspoon crust mixture in each muffin cup. Spoon batter over crust.  Place pan on a baking sheet and bake in pre-heated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Sugar Free Pecan Pie 

1 prepared pie crust

1 box sugar free vanilla pudding (not instant)

1 cup sugar free maple syrup

1 cup evaporated milk

1 egg

1 cup pecans, chopped

½ cup Splenda 

Beat pudding mix and syrup until smooth. Add milk, eggs, nuts, and Splenda. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Sweet Potato Meringue Pie with Pecan Crust 

Crust

1 cup pecans (tip: toasting pecans before using them boosts the flavor)

2 cups graham crackers, crushed

1 teaspoon ginger

3 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons butter, melted 

Grind the pecans in a food processor and then add graham crackers and mix with nuts until powdered. Add ginger, sugar, salt, and cinnamon and mix. Pour into the melted butter and press into a pie pan to form curst on bottom and sides of pan. Bake in pre-heated 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. 

Filling

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and baked

3 eggs

½ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

¾ cup heavy cream 

Mash sweet potatoes. Mix in eggs, sugar, and molasses. Whisk in cream. Pour into cooled pie shell and bake in pre-heated 325 degree oven for about an hour or until the custard is set. 

Meringue 

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

4 egg whites

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon vanilla 

Combine sugar and water and place over medium heat. Cook until the syrup thickens or it reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. While it is cooking, whisk the egg whites and salt together. Slowly add the cooked syrup and continue beating until peaks form. Add vanilla and continue to beat until it is mixed in. Spoon the meringue on top of the pie. Lightly brown the top with a kitchen torch or in a pre-heated 400 degree oven. (Watch closely as it only takes a moment to brown.)