Week 10- Mystery Pecan Pie

I'm not much of a cookbook reader; but I do have a soft spot for flipping through old, vintage cookbooks. I get a kick out of reading how to prepare the perfect relish tray or making deviled "insert a random protein".  My sisters have fueled my habit by buying me books like "Better Homes and Gardens Snacks and Refreshments" circa 1963.  All I have to say is with the amount of space devoted to "Treats to pick you up after 10pm", I realize the 60's were so much more awesome than 2013.  By 10 pm, I'm usually asleep on the couch.

So my sister also directed me to a completely awesome website called "The Mid-Century Menu".
Link to Mid-Century Menu

I love this site. They take all those retro recipes and they actually try them out. Jello molds, chocolate cakes made with tomato soup, frankfurter loaf- stuff that I think must taste like poop, but I'm totally intrigued by them.  And my God, they have a whole section on making cute, white-frosted lamb cakes.  Do you know how badly I want to make one of those?

Well I decided to use one of their recipes for this week's pie.  I have to admit, I am not as brave as they.  I searched all their "best" recipes for pie and came up with mystery pecan pie.  What's the hook?  It's pecan pie with a cheesecake layer.

The other news this week- my husband decided that he could make a better pie crust than I can.  So this week, he was my guest crust maker.  When I asked him what recipe he was using, he had no idea.  I was hoping it would be a miserable flop, but dang if he didn't find the Pioneer Woman's recipe for pie crust and it was yummy. (Although I did have to stop him from using all of the dough from the recipe that makes 3 pie crusts.)

As for the pie, it was delicious.  Except for one thing, it oozed a bit (which gave me flashbacks to the Fudge Pie from Week 3.)  I'm not sure if there is some trick to working with corn syrup or if the corn syrup I'm using has some issues.  It just seems like every time I make something with corn syrup, it's a bit of a weepy mess.

I have to say that one thing I dislike about pecan pie is that it is usually cloying sweet.  The creamy cheesecake layer in this recipe gives a nice balance to the sweet stickiness of the pecan/sugar layer.  Definitely one to try again!

One funny note: my younger daughter is 2 so she's learning how to talk.  Today was the first day that she said "Pie".  I gave her a piece and she ate half of it!

Mystery Pecan Pie- aka Pecan Pie with a Layer of Cheesecake
Link to Pecan Pie recipe
Adapted from the blog "The Mid-Century Menu"
Originally from the 1964 Pillsbury Bake-Off

Ingredients
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup light corn syrup
1 deep dish 9 inch pie shell

Combine cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 egg. Spread into bottom of pie shell.

Sprinkle pecans over the cheese layer.

Combine remaining eggs, sugar, vanilla, and corn syrup.  Pour over pecans.

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

The man crust

 

Pecan pie