Pecan pie is one of my most favorite desserts - this instructable will show you how to do it right! I do NOT approve of these faux pecan pies I see everywhere with only a thin layer of pecans hovering over a nasty opaque gelatinous corn syrup filling.

It's best served warm with ice cream or freshly whipped cream!

Step 1: Ingredients!

Software:

1/4 cup room temperature butter (4 tbsp, half a stick)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp good vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 cups pecan halves, raw
9 inch pie crust, unbaked

Hardware

large mixing bowl
hand mixer/whisk
spatula
measuring spoons and cups

Plus, if you'd like to try the peppermint whipped cream I made:

a small narrow bowl or cup
a small whisk
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
a couple drops of peppermint extract
around a tbsp of sugar

Step 2: Cream the Butter, Beat the Eggs.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Plop the butter and brown sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat at a low speed until nice and creamy.

Use a fork to beat the eggs until they're a uniform yellow color.

Step 3: Add the Rest of the Ingredients to the Sugar and Butter!

Add the eggs, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix until well combined. Make sure to scrape the creamed butter and sugar off the sides!

Step 4: Pour the Filling Over the Pecans!

Place the pecans in your pie shell and pour the filling over them.

Step 5: Baking and Finishing the Pie!

Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 F and bake for 35 minutes.

Once the time is up, take the pie out of the oven and insert a knife in the middle. If the knife comes out clean, you're ready to go. You can also shake the pie pan and make sure the center isn't too jiggly. Either way works. ;)

Let it cool for a few minutes - it'll become more firm as it cools.

While mine cooled, I made an amazing peppermint whipped cream to go on it. Just add the peppermint extract and sugar to the cream and beat it until it starts forming soft peaks. The peppermint is really refreshing and it's a nice contrast to the heaviness of the pie. :D

I then attempted to reconstruct a piece of pie (it's notoriously hard to cut a nice piece of pecan pie) and make food nom noms! Enjoy!