Dark Pecan Pie - Virginian Hostess Style

This is a very fine dark pecan pie, its chess pie custard looks similar to commercial pies. This was adapted from a recipe in The TOH Cookbook, but any good Virginian must improve the appearance of her pie by placing perfect pecan halves in a decorative pattern on top of the chopped pecan filling. The pie took me 60 minutes in total baking time.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 9-inch pie

Ingredients

• 3  eggs, at room temperature
• 1  cup dark corn syrup
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 2  tablespoons butter, melted
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup pecan halves, chopped
• 1  unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie pastry
• 1⁄2 cup pecan halves, no imperfections, for decoration

Directions

1. Sort through pecan halves and fill 1/2 cup with perfect pecan halves, and reserve until ready to put pie in oven.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Chop 1 cup of pecan halves or pecan pieces in food processor on pulse setting, and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs.
5. Stir in the corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt.
6. Add the chopped pecans to the chess pie mixture and mix well.
7. Pour chess pie mixture into unbaked pie shell.
8. Top filling with perfect pecan halves.
9. Cover pie edges loosely with foil.
10. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
11. Remove foil. Bake 20 minutes or longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. (That took me an additional 10 minutes.).
12. Cool on a wire rack.
13. Store in the refrigerator.