We’ve been getting a lot of pecans in our CSA lately. We’ve used them before to make glazed pecans. I adore them, but Adam is not such a big fan. In the spirit of compromise, we looked for an alternative use. Why not pecan pie?

However, I am not the world’s biggest fan of corn products (excluding fresh corn on the cob), especially corn syrup. So I cast about on the “tronnernets,” as we lovingly call the internet, for a well-reviewed recipe sans corn syrup. I found Pecan Pie V. With nearly 14,000 reviews and an average rating of 4.5 stars, I figured this recipe is certainly worth a shot.

I found the recipe to be incredibly quick and easy. And the resulting pie was amazing! I made it again almost immediately. So, so tasty. And then it was gone. And then the cravings set in. Oh, the agony. I almost broke down and bought pecans. But after a few weeks, more pecans!

At this point, I began to realize that we are hopelessly addicted to pecan pie. It’s time to start aligning this glorious southern dessert with our lifestyle. Further research into a gluten-free pie crust needs to be done, but for now I am still using store-bought crusts for the sake of time.

A side note about said crusts: After the first pie, I started using tin foil to shield the edges of the pie crust after the initial 10 minutes at 400ºF. Just lay a sheet of foil flat on a pan, under the pie, and when it’s time, use tongs to fold them over the edges. That way, no delicate maneuvers with a sloshy, 400º pie required. And the crust will be nice and golden, not brown, dry, and crumbly.

Most recently, I used honey instead of the 1/4 cup of white sugar. Honey doesn’t have quite the glycemic reaction that sugar does. That is to say, blood sugar spikes are smaller than those caused by an equivalent amount of white sugar… though it’s still no great shakes, especially if you’re diabetic. But it’s a step in the right direction. I will keep making incremental modifications until I have something I can feel reasonably good about consuming on a regular basis.

I thought the new, slightly better pie was just as tasty. And Adam didn’t even notice! One step at a time! next, I think I’ll try substituting something for the brown sugar. After that, it’s on to some kind of homemade, gluten-free pie crust (eek).