Every Christmas I used to cook a pecan pie from a recipe I found in one of Ann Landers holiday columns sometime in the sixties. Since I was thinking of making it again this year, I was thrilled to learn that Dear Abby also had a pecan pie recipe. Hoping to combine recipes to create my own distinctive version of the dessert, I got a copy of each.
After studying them carefully, here are the only differences that I could find: Ann tells us to use white corn syrup; Abby suggests using light corn syrup. Although both women's recipes call for a cup of dark brown sugar, only Abby wants us to make sure the cup is firmly packed. Ann tells us to use a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla; Abby, clearly wanting to leave nothing to chance, recommends using 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla. Otherwise, the recipes are exactly the same.