Thanksgiving will be in a few days. Time to gather friends and family and celebrate a time of giving thanks for each other and most probably, the Thanksgiving feast prepared by loving hands.
Everyone prepares their favorite dishes. But other than the star of the show – the turkey and dressing – friends and family look forward to the pies which are baked with abundance for this holiday – pumpkin, of course, but in Texas, we crave the pecan pie.
Pecans are in season now and ready to be cracked and picked out for holiday treats. Some people even put them in the dressing (or stuffing) for the turkey. But most of us look forward to a good homemade pecan pie.
My Mom made a good one from the recipe on the back label of Karo corn syrup. It was good – and this is the recipe most of us are used to. But, doing a little research on whether or not the Father of Texas (Stephen F. Austin) and the Mother of Texas (Jane Long) knew each other, I discovered an historic pecan pie recipe that is VERY different from the pecan pie most of us are used to.
Jane Long came to Brazoria as a young widow, one of the “Father of Texas” Stephen F. Austin’s “old three hundred” after leaving Fort Bolivar early in 1822 when she learned that her husband had been captured by the Spanish and then killed by Mexican revolutionaries.
In January 1823, the provisional Mexican government granted each family approved by Austin 4,428 acres (a league) for grazing and 177 acres (a labor) for farming – a headright. In April, Austin induced the congress to introduce 300 families on his terms. Returning to the colonies in July 1824, he set up his headquarters in San Felipe De Austin on the banks of the Brazos.
By December 1825, Jane Long lived near San Felipe De Austin. During this time, the Austin/Long connection began. Austin “beat a path to Jane’s door” and she and her sister made him a suit of buckskins. He even petitioned the Mexican government for a widow’s pension for Jane, citing her husband’s attempt to overthrow Spanish rule.
(In 1824 Mexico gained its independence from Spain.) Though the pension was denied, Austin granted her a headright of land – she was one of only 10 women of the original 300 who received that much. But, to keep it, Jane Long had to improve it and moved onto the land and produced some crops.
As discontent in the colonies spread, and Brazoria became the “unofficial port and settler center,” Jane convinced her daughter, Ann, and her new husband, Edward Winston, to move to Brazoria.
Soon after landing in Brazoria (January 1831), Edward died from consumption. In March 1832 Jane first announced the tavern she and her daughter would run in The Constitutional Advocate and Texas Public Adviser. It quickly became the center of social life and revolution plotting. Jane operated her tavern in Brazoria from 1832-1837.
Between the time Jane opened her tavern in 1832, until April of 1833 when Stephen F. Austin was appointed to secure Texas statehood from Mexico, the two Texas legends met and conferred often at the Brazoria tavern. While Austin was in Mexico seeking Texas statehood, and continuing until news came that he had been arrested (January 1834) and imprisoned in Mexico City under suspicion of trying to incite insurrection in Texas, Jane ran the tavern and plotted a revolution.
The Mother and the Father of Texas knew each other well enough to confide in one another and to be concerned about each other. Some people contend that this relationship was platonic, and an equal number of sources claim Austin was Jane’s ardent suitor. Was the nature of their relationship defined by personal attraction and affection, or did the Mother and Father of Texas merely rock the cradle of revolution?
When Jane Long was operating her tavern, legend has it, she collected recipes she often used. One of these stood out to me – one she entitled “Stephen F. Austin’s Favorite Pecan Pie.” After all, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
So without much further ado, I’d like to introduce you to a historic pecan pie recipe. But be forewarned – though this pecan pie recipe is delicious, it does not taste like the pecan pie you are used to. It is not as sweet as the recipe you have come to know and love. Oh, and a “moderate” oven is 350-375 degrees.
Jane also gave us all a tip to keep the crust of a pecan pie crisp (and this will work with any pie). You just mix one tablespoon of flour with one tablespoon of sugar and sprinkle the mixture over the unbaked pie shell before you add the pecan mixture. Then bake it. This little tip keeps the pie crust from getting soggy. Who knew we could learn so much from our past?
Stephen F. Austin’s Favorite Pecan Pie
Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
1 cup dark sorghum
3 tablespoons fresh cow’s butter
3 fresh eggs
1 teaspoon essence of vanilla flavoring
Pinch of salt
1 cup fresh pecan halves
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pie crust that is unbaked
Stir the half cup of sugar and sorghum over a moderate fire until they boil. Stir in your butter.
Meanwhile beat the eggs until the whites and yellows are blended. Pour the hot mixture over the eggs and stir. Add flavoring, salt and pecans. Now mix the flour and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Sprinkle this over the bottom of the unbaked pie crust.
Pour the filling into the crust and cook in the oven which should be moderate. Cook about 45 minutes.
Happy Thanksgiving! If you like pie, make sure you try this recipe – you might even find something else to be thankful for.
Stephen F. Austin’s Favorite Pecan Pie recipe is courtesy of Nellie S. Patrick, the author of “Jane Long of Texas 1798-1880,” published by Pelican Publishing Co.
