The perfect pecan pie is sweet, but not too sweet. You don't want a cloying bite of pie that hurts your teeth because all you get is sugar. The best pecan pie sweetener is one that has a depth to its taste, with layers of flavor. Most pecan pies use some kind of corn syrup, but in Alabama, there's only one choice for sweetener: Golden Eagle Syrup. If you're not familiar with this small town Alabama favorite, let us introduce you.
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Golden Eagle Syrup was founded in 1928 by Victor Patterson and his wife Lucy. The couple began making the syrup in a small building behind their house, but as sales grew, they decided to move production of the syrup to a building in downtown Fayette, Alabama in 1944.
Golden Eagle
The Patterson children ran the company after their parents until 1986. Today the company is still family-owned and family-run by Temple Bowling and John Blevins and their respective families. And just like Victor and Lucy Patterson did, every jar of the syrup is still hand tightened before it leaves the factory.
What is Golden Eagle Syrup?
Golden Eagle Syrup is made of a blend of corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar syrup, cane molasses and pure honey. The different sweeteners give the syrup a depth of flavor and a taste that isn't quite like anything else.
"'A syrup without any equal' is what Mr. Patterson used to say," Bowling told Southern Living. "He named it Golden Eagle Syrup because no bird flies higher than an eagle and 'golden' for the color of the syrup."
How can you use Golden Eagle Syrup?
This sweet syrup is perfect for pecan pie. (And if you need a good pecan pie recipe, we can suggest this Southern Pecan Pie or these Pecan Pie Bars.)
But it's not just for pie fillings. Use it to sweeten fruit crisps and cobblers, or add it to homemade granola. Basically, it works in any recipe that calls for honey, molasses or corn syrup.
You can also use it as a condiment. Spread it on biscuits. Pour the syrup on blueberry pancakes. Drizzle it over buttermilk waffles. Use it to make caramel popcorn and peanut brittle.
Where to find it
You can find the syrup in stores across the Southeastern part of the United States. If you don't live near a store that sells it, you can order jars of the syrup on the goldeneaglesyrup.com website.
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