Pumpkin pie may reign supreme on Thanksgiving, but the true hero of the dessert table is pecan pie. Unlike its gourd-based friend that falls out of favor after the holiday season, pecan pie remains a popular dessert year-round. Pecan pie is an American creation. Its history can be traced back thousands of years, to Native Americans who used the nut's meat as a filling for their medicine pouches and in recipes like wampum belts. The colonists began using pecans as a food source, though they didn'