Pecans

ee-can. Pih-kahn. Pee-kahn. A nut by any other name wouldn’t have such a hotly contested pronunciation, but however you say it, the pecan’s influence on American baking is a universal truth not up for debate. Naturally growing along the Mississippi River, from the tip of Illinois down to the bayous of Louisiana, the pecan tree is the only nut tree native to North America, and its plump, brown nut has become a signature ingredient in some of our most beloved baked goods, from rich pecan pie to nut-studded hummingbird cake. Even with its assured place in American heritage, the pecan has journeyed a winding path from