Thanksgiving

Every year I make the pies for Thanksgiving.  I always make too many pies and this year was going to be no different.  I had a hard time decided on a pecan pie recipe so I made two.  Yes, two pecan pies!  One was my grandma's recipe and the other was a Cooks Illustrated recipe.  People who want a slice of pecan have to have one slice of each pie because I'm very curious to see what they think - and I won't tell them which pie is which.

Buttery, sugary, pecan goodness....

Pecan pie #1:

Pecan Pie #2:

The pumpkin pies asked to pose next to pecan #2:

And all five pies... two pecan, apple, and two pumpkin.

Oh, apple pie, how I love you...

Bennett and his mommy made a great, kid friendly appetizer.  A 'turkey' with cheese and grape skewers for feathers, an apple beak, bell pepper 'wobbler' and grape eyes!

And the real turkey.  Yum.

And no Thanksgiving is complete without Prudence the pitcher.  She loves to stare at you with this nasty face while you stuff yours. 

And the pecan pie taste test 2012 was a success!  I was amazed... everyone preferred my grandma's recipe (basically all butter) to the much lighter colored Cooks Illustrated recipe.  Both pies were phenomenal but they each had their own strong points.  Grandma Charlotte's pie won overall for texture, taste and flavor.

Below is grandma Charlotte's winning pecan pie recipe.

Pecan Pie, courtesy of Charlotte Smith

3 slightly beaten eggs

1 c. sugar

1 c. light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 c. pecans

1 1/4 c. melted butter

Combine eggs, sugar and syrup, vanilla, salt.  Put nuts in unbaked shell and add filling.  Bake at 400 for 10 min and at 345 for 40min.