I told you the secret of my best, laziest no-roll pie crust, but I neglected to tell you what I put in the pie crust!

This is the best pecan pie ever.  It’s not fancy, no caramel drizzle or white chocolate chips or any other gee-gaws.  Just plain, unadulterated pecan pie love.

I have two secrets.

First, I use pecan halves, but mix it throughout the filling so the whole pie is filled with nuts. I hate pecan pies that are basically sugar filling with a single layer of artistically arranged pecan halves on top.  I also hate pecan pies that are so sweet they make your teeth hurt and your dentist cower.  This pie is sweet but not too sweet and filled chockablock full of nutty goodness.

Second, toast the nuts before you mix the filling.  Simply put the nuts in a skillet and toast on medium high heat until they are golden brown and you start to smell them.  Keep a close eye on them and stir frequently so the nuts don’t scorch.  It just takes a couple of minutes and makes all the difference!

This recipe fills a glass Pyrex pie plate perfectly (say that three times fast!)

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup white sugar

5 Tablespoons melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. pecan halves, toasted.

Mix everything but the nuts together until blended, then stir in the pecans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes, until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Tip: Cover the crust with aluminum foil or pie crust guards for the first 20 minutes of baking, to prevent overbrowing.

Tip: Place a cookie sheet under the pie plate to catch any spills.

Tip: Place the pie crust on the oven rack, and then fill it to prevent spills.

Tip: Make sure you use Karo light corn syrup, which is glucose.  Most store brands contain high fructose corn syrup, so watch out!