- **Pie shell (If using frozen, thaw 30 minutes.)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup + 1 tbs butter
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cups chopped pecans
- 1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place a baking sheet on the correct oven rack (see Pie Shell instructions below).
Blind bake your pie shell for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. (To blind bake, simply press pie shell into your pan and then line with parchment or aluminum foil. Then, weigh your covering down with pie weights, dried beans, or any other material that you can spread out to cover the bottom of the pie. You need about a pound to a pound and a half. Once the edges turn golden, remove the weights and bake a little longer.)
Prepare the filling: In a saucepan combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Then remove from heat.
Slowly add 1 cup of the hot mixture to beaten eggs, whisking constantly. Then, stir egg mixture back into remaining hot mixture. Stir in pecans and vanilla.
Bake at 350° F for 35 minutes or until set. Cool completely before serving.
**Pie Shell
Toss together flour, sugar, salt and pecans in a large mixing bowl. Mix in butter with hands until crumbly.
Add water, 1 tbs at a time, until dough forms. If baking pies in glass pie dish (my favorite for better crust browning and you can see the crust), adjust oven rack to the center position. If baking pie in tin or aluminum pie dish, adjust oven rack to second lowest position in oven and preheat to 350° F the baking sheet pie will sit on to bake. This will crisp up your crust. If pie edge begins to brown too quickly wrap a band of foil around the edge.