Methods/steps

Preheat the oven to 350°. Make the pastry first by combining the butter, flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times to break up the butter into pea-size bits. With the processor running, add the water until a cohesive dough forms. Do not let the dough form a ball. Turn out onto a work surface and gather the loose dough together. Knead by hand a couple of times—just long enough to make a smooth dough (it will still have lumps of unblended butter). Pat the dough into a 6-inch disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Spray a 9-inch glass pie dish with an oil mister and set aside. Roll the dough out to a ?- to ¼-inch thick round and transfer it to the prepared pie dish. Flute the edges of the pastry as desired and place in the freezer while you make the filling.

Make the filling by combining all the ingredients except the pecans. Whisk to blend well, then for about 3 minutes longer, until mixture is very smooth and frothy with no lumps. Scatter the pecans in the bottom of the prepared pastry. Pour the filling over the pecans and bake in the preheated oven for about 65 minutes to 75 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is almost set. The filling should jiggle in the center ever so slightly and there will be slight cracking on the top of the pie when it’s perfectly done. Do not bake until the filling is completely firm. Cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature. Do not refrigerate pecan pie as it will spoil the smooth, gooey texture.