Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the frozen 9-inch pie shell from the freezer and place it on a baking sheet. This makes moving the pie in and out of the oven much easier and helps prevent spills.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, melted salted butter, dark corn syrup, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined. It’s important to whisk until there are no streaks of egg or sugar.

Spread the chopped pecans evenly over the bottom of the pie shell (from Step 1). Then, carefully pour the mixed filling (from Step 2) over the pecans, ensuring the nuts are fully covered. I find this layering gives each slice plenty of nuts in every bite.

Place the assembled pie in the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. After about 20 minutes, loosely tent aluminum foil over the top and around the pie crust edges to prevent over-browning. When done, the pie should be slightly puffed in the center and only a little jiggly. Oven times may vary, so keep an eye on it.

Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing. This helps the filling set and allows for neat, clean slices. For a little extra indulgence, I sometimes serve pecan pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.