Ingredients:

  • 250 g (2 cups) All-Purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
  • 3 g (½ tsp) Fine Sea Salt (for crust)
  • 225 g (1 cup / 2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, very cold, cut into 1 cm cubes (for crust)
  • 60 – 80 ml (4 – 5 Tbsp) Ice Water
  • 3 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 175 g (¾ cup) Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • 180 ml (¾ cup) Light Corn Syrup or Golden Syrup
  • 85 g (6 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 g (¼ tsp) Fine Sea Salt (for filling)
  • 15 ml (1 Tbsp) Bourbon or Dark Rum (Optional)
  • 300 g (2 ½ cups) Pecan Halves, lightly toasted
  • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten (for sealing the crust)

Instructions:

  1. Make and Chill the Dough: Combine flour and salt. Cut in the cold butter until pieces are pea-sized. Gradually add ice water until the dough just comes together. Form into a disc, wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Roll, Fit, and Seal: Roll the dough out to 3 mm (⅛-inch) thickness and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and crimp the edges. Chill again for 15 minutes. Prick the bottom crust all over with a fork, and optionally brush with beaten egg white for a moisture barrier.
  3. Blind Bake the Crust: Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F. Line the chilled shell with parchment paper, fill with pie weights, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and paper. Reduce oven temperature immediately to 175°C / 350°F.
  4. Prepare the Filling: Whisk together the lightly beaten eggs, brown sugar, corn or golden syrup, slightly cooled melted butter, vanilla extract, salt, and bourbon (if using). Whisk until combined, ensuring the sugar is mostly dissolved.
  5. Assemble the Pie: Scatter about two-thirds of the toasted pecans evenly across the bottom of the warm, blind-baked pie shell. Slowly pour the caramel filling mixture over the pecans. Arrange the remaining one-third of the pecans decoratively on top.
  6. Bake: Bake at 175°C / 350°F for 50–60 minutes. Use a pie shield or foil strips to cover the crust edges if they brown too quickly. The pie is done when the edges are set and puffed, but the centre 5 cm (2 inches) still has a slight gentle wiggle.
  7. Cool and Set: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack for at least 3 hours at room temperature. Do not slice until fully set.