Pecan Pie

If using a frozen crust, let it defrost in the fridge for about 3 hours. If you are using a refrigerated crust, keep it in the fridge until you are ready.

Preheat oven to 400F. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out onto a floured work surface until it is 12 inches wide and about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough around rolling pin and unroll it over a pie plate, leaving a ½ inch overhang around the pie plate. Press dough into bottom and up sides of pie plate. Fold the overhang underneath itself and crimp the edges of the dough as desired. Using a fork, prick the dough all over the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. *Note: if at any point during this process your dough becomes too soft put it back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

When the dough is firm, remove it from the refrigerator and line pie crust with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove foil or parchment and weights and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven.

While the pie crust is baking, begin to melt butter in a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl that’s placed over a saucepan full of simmering water. You want the water to be barely simmering. Once butter is melted, mix in sugar and salt and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove bowl of butter mixture from heat (keep the water at a simmer) and beat in the eggs (but leave about 2 Tablespoons of egg in the bowl for the egg wash), corn syrup, and vanilla extract. Return the bowl over the top of the pot of hot water and stir until the mixture is shiny and hot throughout, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in about 1 ½ cup of the pecans.

After removing the crust from the oven, decrease the oven temperature to 275F and pour the pecan mixture into the pie crust. Sprinkle remaining chopped pecans on top. Brush the reserved egg wash over the exposed crust and place pie in the oven and bake until the filling is set and springs back to the touch (use a spoon!). Baking time should take 45 – 55 minutes. Remove pie from oven and allow to cool completely so the filling can set.

Slightly adapted from: browneyedbaker.com.