Evie's Pecan Pie (without corn syrup!)

This version of the traditional Christmas pecan pie is so much better than the sicky-sweet, artificial taste imparted by the ones made with corn syrup. Yum!

Ingredients:
unbaked 9-in (NOT deep dish) pie shell from your favorite recipe

1 C dark brown sugar
1/4 C white sugar
1/2 C butter, melted
2 eggs
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp milk
1tsp vanilla
1 C+ hand-broken pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, then stir in melted butter.

Stir in sugars and flour; mix well.

Add the milk, vanilla, and nuts.

Pour into the unbaked 9-in (NOT deep-dish) pie shell.  (You can double the filling and make this is a deep-dish pie plate if you like.)

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes or until done.  Partway through, you will need to cover the crust--and maybe the whole pie--with aluminum foil or an aluminum pie crust cover, to prevent over-browning. 

NOTE: This year for Easter (2015) Evie used this same recipe to make a peanut pie. It's delicioys that way, too. Just be sure to chop the peanuts, or it's a little too big-chunk nutty!

And don't forget it's NOT a deep-dish recipe. Double the filling if you want to maje a deep-dish pie. 

Rum Cake from Scratch

Rum Cake from Scratch
Adapted by Always Order Dessert to be completely homemade from a recipe found on Food.com 

Ingredients

for the cake: 
1/2 cups walnuts, crushed
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
3 tablespoons + 1/2 cup grapeseed or canola oil, separated
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup DIY vanilla instant pudding mix
(click for my easy homemade pudding mix recipe!; you can also use packaged pudding mix)
3/4 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
3/4 cup dark rum (recommended: Tortuga Rum)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

for the rum syrup:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup dark rum

Special Equipment: One 10-15 cup Bundt pan

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan, and drop crushed walnuts into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

In the base of a mixer, cream the 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and the 1/2 cup butter. Add the 3 tablespoons oil, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and kosher salt combining until evenly distributed. (Mixture will look like fine crumbs.) Mix in the pudding mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, rum, vanilla extract, and remaining vegetable oil. Add to the dry mixture and mix well until combined. The batter will be smooth, thin, and pour easily.

Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the cake comes up clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack. Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes.

While the cake cools, prepare the rum syrup: In a large saucepan with high sides, combine the butter, water, granulated sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the butter completely melts and the sugar dissolves. Let reduce slightly, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum (it will bubble).

Wash and dry the bundt pan, then place over the cool cake and invert the cake back into the pan. Pour the hot rum syrup all over the cake and let soak for 8 hours (overnight). In morning, invert the cake back onto a serving platter. Keeps covered for 1 week at room temperature.