This recipe comes to NCR from Tom Fleming of Crossroads Diner in Dallas, Texas. As a pie judge at the State Fair of Texas for the past 21 years, Fleming has tasted more pies than he can remember. The ratio between filling and crust, he says, is crucial. “Thickness of the pie crust is key, and over time great pie makers just know the right thickness.”

Makes one 9-inch pie
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/4 cup light corn syrup
1-1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup pecan halves
Subscribers can read more about the history of pie, one of the oldest recipes on the planet, in the January/February 2019 issue of The National Culinary Review. Not a subscriber yet? Click here to become one.