Georgia Pecan Pie

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Georgia is the nation's No. 1 producer of pecans.
There is much talk among winemakersand connoisseurs about how each wine reveals its terroir—that is, the place where it wasgrown. Can the term be applied to other foods? “I think that you get anaspect of that with pecans,” says Chef Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill. “I just had some California pecansother day and they just don’t have same sugar content as Georgia counterparts.Georgia pecans are sweeter, perhaps a touch more tannic but with an underlyingsweetness that I really like.”
He's not alone. The Chinese have developed a taste for Georgia pecans, so now much of the crop is shipped overseas. The combination of drought-challenged production and increased global demand has caused pecan prices to climb. But you only need a cup of pecan halves to make one heck of a tasty pie. Here's my favorite recipe:


Georgia Pecan Pie
3 eggs2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup fresh Georgia pecan halves (raw, unsalted)
1 pastry pie crust -- use the recipe of your choice, I prefer the Betty Crocker standard below

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line pie plate with pastry crust. Beat 3 eggs slightly. Add 2/3 cup light brown sugar andother ingredients except pecan halves, mix thoroughly. Gently stir in 1 cuppecan halves. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Bake in 375°F oven for 40-50 minutes or until set and pastryis nicely browned. Cool before serving.

Betty Crocker's Standard Pastry (for one-crust pie)
8- or 9-inch1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon shortening1 cup all purpose flour1/2 teaspoon salt2-3 Tablespoons ice cold water
10-inch1/2 cup shortening1 1/3 cups all purpose flour1/2 teaspoon salt3-4 Tablespoons ice cold water
Cut shortening into flour and salt until the size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until flour is moist almost forms a pastry ball. Gather into a disk and roll into a circle on floured cloth, exceeding pie plate size by approx. 2 inches. Ease onto rolling pin and into pie plate; flute edges.