The Perfect Pecan Pie!

  

The pecan pie is a true southern classic.  It's a pie that on the surface, just looking at the recipe, seems relatively simple to bake.  

However, more problems and questions arise from this fairly simple pie than most any other, it seems.  They can turn out too runny, too hard and gooey, the crust can get way too brown in order to get the custard to set, and on and on.  Sometimes they turn out great and then the next time they are a mess. 

If you follow this recipe exactly, you will get a perfect pecan pie.  My mama says so and it's true...lol! 

Here is what you will need:

3/4 cup sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 Tbs. flour (can use cornstarch)
1 cup light corn syrup
3 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 9 inch pie shell, unbaked (NOT deep dish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, when you place pie in the oven to bake, you will turn it down to 300 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (sugar, salt, and flour).  The addition of flour or cornstarch keeps the pie from being runny.

With a wire whisk (not a mixer) mix in the butter, eggs, corn syrup, and butter just until well blended.  Don't over beat this.

Place the pie shell on a cookie sheet.

Arrange the pecan halves in the bottom of the pie shell, flat side down as you want them to look on top of the pie.  They will rise to the top after you pour the wet ingredients in and bake it.

Pour the custard over the pecan halves.  Place the cookie with the pie shell on it carefully in the oven on the middle rack.

Turn the oven down to 300 degrees and bake for exactly 1 hour.   The lower temperature might seem unusual if you have baked a pecan pie before and it calls for 350 for an hour, but this temperature keeps the pie shell from over browning and the pie from getting too gooey or hard.