Ingredients:

  • 225 g (1 ¾ cups) All-Purpose Flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tsp Salt (5 g)
  • 115 g (8 Tbsp/½ cup) Unsalted Butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and kept very cold
  • 60 g (4 Tbsp) Vegetable Shortening or Lard, cut into cubes and chilled (optional, but highly recommended for flakiness)
  • 60 – 90 ml (4 – 6 Tbsp) Ice Water
  • 170 g (1 ½ cups) Pecan Halves, divided (plus extra for decoration)
  • 175 ml (¾ cup) Light Corn Syrup
  • 100 g (½ cup) Packed Light Brown Sugar
  • 115 g (8 Tbsp/½ cup) Unsalted Butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 3 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt

Instructions:

  1. Stage 1: The Flaky Crust. Prepare the Dough: Whisk flour and salt together. Cut in the cold butter and shortening using a pastry blender or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of fat remaining.
  2. Add Water: Gradually stream in ice water, mixing gently until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix. Form the dough into a flat disk, wrap tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Roll and Fit: Roll the chilled dough out to about 12 inches (30 cm) and transfer it gently to the 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges decoratively.
  4. Blind Bake Prep & Bake: Freeze the formed crust for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the frozen crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and paper, then continue baking for 5–8 minutes until the bottom looks dry and lightly set. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
  5. Stage 2: The Gooey Filling and Assembly. Prep Pecans: Reserve about 18–20 attractive pecan halves for the top decoration. Coarsely chop the remaining pecans.
  6. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
  7. Temper the Eggs: Gently whisk the lightly beaten eggs into the syrup mixture. Ensure the melted butter is not hot, or you risk scrambling the eggs.
  8. Assemble & Decorate: Scatter the chopped pecans evenly across the bottom of the warm blind-baked crust. Pour the syrup filling over the nuts. Arrange the reserved pecan halves artfully on top of the filling.
  9. Stage 3: Baking and Setting. Bake: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50–60 minutes. If the crust edges start to brown too quickly (around the 25-minute mark), loosely tent the edges with aluminium foil or use a pie shield.
  10. Check for Doneness: The pie is ready when the edges of the filling are set, but the center still has a slight, controlled wobble. It should register 200°F (93°C) in the center.
  11. Cool Completely: Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the pie cool completely, undisturbed, for a minimum of 4 hours at room temperature, or until the center is perfectly set.