Roasted Pecan Butter Pecan Pie

(Louisiana Cajun)

Dough
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut up
1/4 cup ice water

Sift 1 cup of the flour and the salt into a large bowl. Add butter, and working quickly with a light touch, cut butter into the flour with a spoon and fingertips until mixture is the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add ice water and stir until well blended. Form the dough into a ball and place on a flat surface floured with the remaining 3 tablespoons flour. With a floured rolling pin, roll out dough to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/8 inch. Place an ungreased 8 1/2-inch round pie pan face down on top of the dough and cut around the pan, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Lightly flour the top of the dough and fold it in quarters. Carefully place dough in the pie pan, with the points of the folded dough centered. Unfold dough and line the pan bottom and sides, gently pressing dough into place and draping a little over the rim. Flute the edges. Refrigerate prepared pie shell until ready to use.

Pecan Filling
1/2 cup pecan pieces or halves,
    dry roasted until dark
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecan halves

Process roasted pecans in a food processor until they become a relatively smooth butter, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping sides down as needed with a rubber spatula.

Place eggs in a medium-size bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed a few seconds until frothy. Add sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, salt, and pecan butter. Beat on medium speed a few seconds until well mixed, pushing sides down as needed. Stir in the unroasted pecan halves. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

Reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake until filling is browned on top and crust on edges is lightly browned, about 40 minutes more.

Remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.