July 12, 2015 is National Pecan Pie Day so it seemed the appropriate time to correct a family recipe error.
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
Every Thanksgiving
and Christmas when I was growing up, my maternal grandmother, Gladys Vivian
Rainey Smith, baked pecan pies with pecans we had picked up from under our
trees. Usually Grandpa, Calvin Callcayah Smith, had cracked them. Many times my
sister and I were called on to “pick out” the pecan goodies to insure there
were no shells. My mother had an aversion to even the slightest sliver of pecan
shell in her baking.
Grandma always
used the recipe she referred to as “Daisy’s Pecan Pie Recipe.” Her older
sister, Daisy Dean Rainey Rice, had given the recipe to her. People who sampled
the pecan pie raved about how delicious it was. It had the perfect filling. The
pie’s show-stopping, prize-winning appearance made it a favorite of many.
When the faculty
of Woodland Elementary School, where I taught third grade, elected to compile a
cookbook as a fund-raiser, the pecan pie recipe seemed like an obvious choice.
I copied the recipe from the recipe card below along with a further
clarification since most cookbook readers would not have the baking experience
that Aunt Daisy did.
 |
The
original recipe from my mother’s recipe collection written by Aunt Daisy.
Mother
added this explanation: Beat eggs slightly, then mix in syrup,
vanilla,
flour, and
sugar. Add pecans. Pour into a pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for
30-45 minutes. |
How surprised I was when visiting Rosemary Goad Dilbeck, one of Aunt
Daisy’s granddaughters, to learn she had given the above recipe to her grandma.
Rosie said her grandma tasted a pecan pie made by Rosie and immediately asked for her
recipe since she could taste the difference. Rosie said the main difference is
the tablespoon of flour and her choice of syrup. Rosie used Griffins Maple
Syrup, a made-in-Oklahoma product.
When Grandma
tasted her big sister’s pie, she promptly requested a copy of her recipe.
Notice Aunt Daisy just entitled the recipe “Pecan Pie.” She did sign her name
at the bottom but in no way claimed the recipe as her own. Aunt Daisy may have
told my grandma that Rosie gave her the recipe. Let’s set the record straight. The
above recipe originated with Rosie, a second cousin, who dearly loved her
great-aunt, my grandma
Grandma and Rosie made
so many memories together. One cherished
memory was when Grandma and Grandpa went to Falls Creek as sponsors with the
Big Bend Baptist Church with Rosie as a teenage camper. Grandma picked out Rosie to
help her prepare some of the meals which Rosie loved to do. Rosie said the most
delicious dessert they fixed was a blue plum cobbler. She and Grandma had to
prop a 2” X 4” board against the cabin’s oven door to hold it closed during
baking!
I recall fun times
of Rosie living in the Big Bend. Rosie and her children, Tim and Shella Dean
aka “Sissy,” dropped by to visit periodically. Even though I was older than
they were, we shared laughs and enjoyed spending time together.
Rosie’s hard work and generosity continues today. When
her mother, Hazel Rice Goad Guthrie, celebrated her 100th birthday,
I stayed with my father who was unable to attend while Angie, my sister, took
Mother to her cousin’s milestone party. Rosemary specifically sent ample
amounts of food for Dad and me. Let’s just say, she still is a great cook and
much-loved cousin.
Finally, if you have the Woodland Elementary School
Cookbook published in 2000, you may want to correct the pecan pie recipe
attributed to Aunt Daisy. Now you know the recipe really originated with
Rosemary Goad Dilbeck.
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| School photograph of Rosie from the collection of Gladys Rainey Smith, my maternal grandma. |
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