Perfect Pecan Pie

Perfect Pecan Pie

(Recipe By : Cooks Illustrated)

1 baked pie shell -- 9 inch
6 tablespoons unsalted butter -- 1" pieces
1 cup dark brown sugar -- packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 each eggs -- large
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecans -- 8 ounces
If you want warm pie, cool the pie thoroughly, then cut and warm it in a 250F oven for about twenty minutes.
Toast the pecans and chop into small pieces.
1. Adjust oven rack to center position, and heat oven to 275F. Place pie shell in oven if not already warm.
2. Melt butter in medium heatproof bowl set in skillet of water maintained at just below simmer. Remove bowl from skillet; mix in sugar and salt with wooden spoon until butter is absorbed. Beat in eggs, then corn syrup and vanilla. Return bowl to hot water; stir until mixture is shiny and warm to the touch, about 130F. Remove from heat; stir in pecans.
3. Pour Mixture into warm shell; bake until center feels set yet soft, like gelatin, when gently pressed, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer pie to rack; let cool completely, at least 4 hours. Serve pie at room temperature or warm, with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Praline Sweet Potatoes
Bake sweet potatoes, about one per person until soft. When cool enough to handle remove skins. Beat potatoes with a dash of cinnamon, a stick of margarine or butter, and enough orange juice or milk (soymilk) to make a fluffy mixture. Turn out into a baking dish, smooth the top.
Melt together a stick of butter (margarine) with a cup of dark brown sugar, just until the butter melts. Remove from heat, and spread over the top. Decorate with a layer of pecan halves. Can do day ahead to this point.
Bake at 350 for about an hour until top is bubbly an hot.