"Best-of-All Pecan Pie" from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

As I made this dessert for Easter, I wanted to share it with everyone. Having had a few slices of pecan pie in my lifetime, I have to agree with Ms. Farmer....this is the "Best-of-All!"

Ingredients: 
Basic Pastry dough for a 9-inch pie shell (see below)
3 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups pecan halves or coarsely chopped pecans

Topping (if desired):
1 cup heavy cream, chilled

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a pie pan with the rolled-out dough and set aside. Beat the eggs in a bowl with a fork or wire whisk until the yolks and whites are blended. Add the corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla, and blend well. Stir in the pecans, then pour the mixture into the pie shell. Bake the pie for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center quivers slightly. Don'g over bake! Let the pie cool a bit, and just before serving whip the cream (if desired), then spread it over the pie or pass separately.

Basic Pastry Dough - 9 inch shell

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup cold water

Mix the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender, stand mixer or two knives. Combine lightly only until the mixture resembles coarse meal or very tiny peas; its texture will not be uniform but will contain crumbs and small bits and pieces. Sprinkle water over the flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork, using only enough water so that the pastry will hold together when pressed gently into a ball.

Place on floured board, flour rolling pin, and evenly roll out dough into a 1/8 inch thick circular sheet.