It's National Pecan Pie Day

According to Yahoo! News, today is National Pecan Pie Day. Whether you pronounce it pee-can pie or pee-kawn pie, there's no denying how tasty this nutty pie is.

Though pecan pie isn't considered as diet food, Yahoo! News reports that pecans do add some nutritional qualities to the sweet and savory pie. Pecans can help lower bad cholesterol and they also contain vitamin E, "which may provide a key element to neurological protection" according to a study cited by the National Pecan Shellers Association.

There are also naturally-occurring antioxidants in pecans that may contribute to heart health and disease prevention, also according to a study cited by the National Pecan Shellers Association.

Interested in consuming some of these health benefits by treating yourself to a sweet treat? Try out this recipe for pecan pie courtesy of PecanPieRecipe.com: 

Classic Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of high quality light or dark corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, melted
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup of pecans
• 1 unbaked, 9-inch pie crust

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, add slightly beaten eggs, sugar, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Blend together well.
3. Add pecans to the mixture.
4. Pour pecan mixture into pie crust.
5. Bake 50 to 55 minutes.
6. Cool on wire rack.