Hey Texans, share with me what other special things I should know about your state, and if I were to visit what I need to see😃
We’ve all heard the sayings ‘Don’t Mess With Texas,’ ‘Everything is Bigger in Texas,’
One thing is for sure, Texans are honored to call the Lone Star State home. I’ve met quite a few fellow military families throughout the years from Texas, all of them sharing a deep love for their home state. In fact I’ve never met a group of people that identify more with their state than Texans. They are also adamant that some things (all things) are just better there. They are proud of their colleges, football, cowboy boots, two-stepping, Dr. Pepper, chili, Whataburger, and of course their official state pie, TEXAS PECAN. Which better have a scoop of Blue Bell Ice Cream on top🤠🍔
Having driven through the state at least four times, it’s a two day event. It’s an even more scenic drive in the spring when the Bluebonnets are blossoming wildly along the roads. Texas is huge. Like their larger than life reputation, things are big there, the land, sunsets that engulf the sky, pickup trucks, the steaks, cowboy hats, and cinnamon rolls to name a few. With a state motto of Friendship, this includes the big heart of the people as well. No matter your age, you’ll be referred to as Ma’am or Sir, doors will be held open for you out of respect, and your neighbor might even make you a homemade pie. With a rich pecan history, the first pecan recipes are seen in Texas cookbooks in the 1870’s and 1880’s. The first pecan pie recipe shows up in a St. Louis cookbook in 1898 sent in by a Texas woman. Texas is the largest producer of Pecans in the US and their state tree is the pecan tree. There’s no denying the pecan pie belongs to Texas.
My attempt at making Texas Bluebonnets out of pie dough
I wanted to do right by Texas when making their pecan pie, ‘Go big or go home.’ I decided I needed to to go to the source for the best pecans. I ordered fresh pecans straight out of Fredricksburg, Texas. The pecans were so good, I had to keep from eating them all before even making the pie. I started out using one of my bigger pie plates, I thought I owed Texas a big pie, the biggest I could make. After I poured the filling in, I realized it wasn’t enough to fill the pie up as much as I would like. So I made another pie😆. This time in a smaller dish. Of course after both pies baked up I ended really liking the big pie with the shallow filling- go figure. I decorated it with the Lone Star and the state flower, Bluebonnets, rooting out from the pie. I wanted it to look authentically Texas. As you slice through this pie you feel the crunch as your knife passes through the encrusted pecan layer and into the sweet, gooey layer below. It is the absolute perfect pecan pie. The only thing that could add to that perfection was a scoop of vanilla Blue Bell ice cream. So in the end Texas, you got two pies, how’s that for going big🙌.
Texas got two pies ;)
Originally Published March 8, 2020