Pecan Pie

I nailed it!

After years of tinkering with this dough and that filling, I've struck recipe gold. Hah!

The dough stayed fluted - in its rustic way - and the filling set up nicely. Pastry, flakey.

What more could you ask for? Um, the recipe?

The Pastry

Makes 2 - 9" pies

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

200 gr. (7 0z.) soft, unsalted butter cut into cubes

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup, more or less, ice water

Combine flour, salt and butter in a medium bowl. Work the butter into the flour and salt with your hands until you achieve a crumbly texture. Stir in the egg yolk.

Sprinkle water over the mixture and toss with a fork until the dough gathers together easily into a ball.

Divide into two equal size pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. Before rolling out, let dough come up to room temperature. Roll out over a flour dusted board. Place in pie plate. Flute the edges and refrigerate while you make the pie filling.

Pecan Pie Filling

Enough for one pie

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup light syrup

2 T. melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

2 1/4 cup shelled pecan halves and pieces (mix it up a bit!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk until combined the first six ingredients. Fold in the pecans until thoroughly coated. Pour into the pie shell.

Bake until set, about one hour.

Cool. Eat.