Brigtsen's Pecan Pie

For the Pie Shell: Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Using the large holes on a hand grater, grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. Lightly blend the butter and flour mixture with your fingertips until the texture resembles coarse meal. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Add the water and blend until thoroughly incorporated. Form the dough into a ball and place it on a floured cutting board.

Roll out the dough, adding flour as necessary, to 1/8-inch thick. Place a 9-inch pie pan face down on the dough and cut it to fit the pan, leaving a border of about 1 inch. Line the pan with dough, crimp or trim the edges and chill 30 minutes until ready to use.

For Assembly: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Roast 1/2 cup of pecans until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Grind them in a food processor until ground; set aside.

In an electric mixer with a wire whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, salt and ground pecans. Beat the mixture on medium speed until well blended. Stir in the remaining cup of pecan pieces.

Pour the filling into the Pie Shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and bake the pie until the filling is browned on top and the crust is a light golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the pie at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 8 servings: 669 calories ; 394 mg sodium; 127 mg cholesterol; 31 grams fat; 97 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 2.56 grams fiber.