Dough:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick), diced
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Flour, for rolling the dough
Filling:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 cups chopped toasted pecans(save some whole nuts to decorate the top before baking)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon or rum
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
Make the dough in a food processor. With the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don’t let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, and bring the dough together by hand.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. (The dough will shrink back from edge, so a wider crust is required). Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
Set separate racks in the center and lower third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and pull off pie weights and parchment paper. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
While the crust is baking make the filling: In medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, bourbon, and the vanilla. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.) Whisk the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth. Put the pie shell on a sheet pan and pour the filling into the hot crust. Wrap aluminum foil around the edges to prevent over-browning.
Bake on the lower oven rack until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve slightly warm or room temperature.