It has a (now not so) secret ingredient that cuts the sugary sweetness of a traditional pecan pie and adds depth, The strips of pastry on top make it elegant and even more inviting. Took a Best of Show in 2007.

Best of Show - All American Pecan Pie

Prep Time: 1 hour
Baking Time: 45-50 minutes
Serves: 8
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Ingredients

Pastry for 9" double crust.

Pie Filling:

4 eggs
2/3 c. dark corn syrup
2/3 c. white corn syrup
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. brown sugar
3 T. butter, melted
1 ½ t. vanilla
1 t. prepared espresso or very strong coffee, room temp
1/8 t. salt
2 c. pecans (chopped or halves)

Glaze Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten
3 T. half and half

Directions

Use one round of dough to roll out and fill a 9” pie pan, crimping the edges. Chill. Save the remaining dough for decorating the top.
For the glaze, mix beaten egg and half and half together. Set aside.
For Pie filling: Beat eggs lightly. Mix in corn syrups, sugars, butter, vanilla, espresso and salt. Stir in pecans.
Turn mix into pie shell.
Prepare top crust by rolling out dough to about an 11” circle. Using a decorative cutter or regular knife, cut 4 - 5 strips (each 1” wide) out of the center of the rolled dough. Using a small star-shaped cookie cutter, cut stars out of the remaining dough. Lightly brush the strips and stars with the glaze.
Drape one strip of dough across the center of the pie. Put stars along the top of the strip (about 6 or 7 across). Leave an inch of space on each side and put down 2 more strips parallel to the first one. Add stars. Put the last strip(s) each one inch out from the others (now getting towards the side of the pie plate) and add the final stars. Trim any overhang from the strips so that they match up with the crimped edge of the crust.
Brush the edge of the crust with the glaze.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min. Turn temp down to 350 degrees for another 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out dry. Set on rack to cool.
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Baker’s Notes and Tips and Tricks

If you want it even more fancy, use pecan halves and line them up in rows as they float to the top between the pastry strips. You can also cut out pastry "leaves" or other designs for the top,