Belated Birthday Pecan Pie

I made this Pecan Pie for a college friend of mine who shares my affinity for local seasonal pie goodness. Happy Belated Birthday, Julie!

In this pie, I used brown rice syrup instead of sorghum. I have yet to find a local source of sorghum in the DC area. Julie is on the case though, so maybe she'll unearth some down in northern Virginia and let me know. Using the brown rice syrup instead of the sorghum still lends a delicious and flavorful natural sweetness to the pie, but the resulting pie lacks the full-bodied complexity of the sorghum. Like a rug can tie a room together, sorghum really ties my Pecan Pie together. I miss it.

Perfect Pecan Pie
6 T. unsalted butter
1 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 c. brown rice syrup
1/4 c. real maple syrup
1/4 c. good quality honey
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 t. grated orange zest
1/4 t. salt
3 large eggs
2 c. pecan halves (1/2 pound)

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out crust dough and line pie dish. Prick dough all over with a fork and stick in the freezer for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in sorghum, honey, syrup, vanilla, zest, and salt. Whisk syrup mixture into eggs. Pour pecans into pie shell. Pour liquid mixture over. Bake at 350F for about 50 minutes. Pie is done when filling is set and crust is golden brown. Enjoy!

Current Pie Tally: 66