I'm not a fan of those pecan pies with a thick layer of sweetening topped with a few chopped pecans. The recipe I use calls for one cup of chopped pecans. I use a pound.
The crust is Tart Pastry from the 12th edition of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. It's the one recommended for the pecan pie recipe, and I've found it works well and I'm happy it has no shortening.
I like to use two knives, alternating between trying to chop the butter into little bits and mixing it around to see where I need to work harder. The mixture slowly becomes yellower as the butter is incorporated into the flour. Some people prefer to use a pastry blender, and some like to use their fingers. If you use your fingers don't let the butter get too warm and melty while you're working with it.
Mix 1 egg yolk with 2 tablespoons cold water together.
Add it to the flour mixture.
Gently mix with a fork.
Until the mixture balls up on itself.
Put in cling wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
Start pressing (you don't roll this out) into your pie pan. This is a 10 1/2 wide by 1 1/2 inch deep pan and it fills it very nicely.
Continue adding globs of the dough, and spreading it evenly. I use my fingers and the heel of my hand to do it. I cover deeply enough so no white shows, but not thick. It takes a bit of practice, but this dough doesn't seem to mind. Stick it back in the fridge if it starts to get too warm.
I use my fingers to form a pretty edge. At this point I pop it back in the fridge while I prepare the pie filling.
It's 3 eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 cup dark corn syrup (the grocery was out of dark so I used light this time) and 1 teaspoon vanilla. I mix that all up.
and then I stir in a pound of pecans.
Then I pour it into the pie shell.
The oven gets preheated to 425 F. It's baked for 10 minutes... lowered to 350 F and continues baking for another 35 minutes. It comes out looking like this.
