Easy Dessert Recipes

The mystery pecan pie is a $1,000 prize-winning recipe created by Mary McClain for the 16th Pillsbury bake-off contest in 1964. The mystery is about why cream cheese and pecan layers in the pie suddenly change places during baking. This easy dessert recipe is adapted from the Pillsbury Best of the Bake-Off Cookbook: Recipes From America’s Favorite Cooking Contest, which includes all of the $1 million grand prize recipes collected from the cooking contest over the years.

Ingredients

1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust

Cream cheese layer:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1⁄3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Pecan layer:

3 eggs
¼ cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1¼ cups chopped pecans

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass baking dish as directed on box for one-crust filled pie.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese layer ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until well blended and smooth. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat three eggs with electric mixer on medium speed. Add remaining pecan layer ingredients, except pecans. Beat until well blended.

Spread cream cheese mixture in crust. Sprinkle with pecans. Gently pour egg mixture over pecans. Cover crust edge with 2- to 3-inch wide strips of foil to prevent browning; remove foil during last 15 minutes of bake time.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely, about two hours, before serving. Cover and refrigerate remaining pie. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 570 calories, 32 g. fat, 64 g. carbohydrates, 140 mg. cholesterol, 330 mg. sodium, 1 g. fiber.

*Recipe adapted from Pillsbury Best of the Bake-Off Cookbook: Recipes From America’s Favorite Cooking Contest

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