Toffee Pecan Pie

My dad is usually in charge of dessert on Thanksgiving, but he graciously shared the job with me this year. He made the pumpkin pie and I made the pecan. Yet again, I turned to Martha Stewart, my holiday guru, for a creative twist on the classic pecan pie. I chose this version because my mom loves Heath bars.

Martha Stewart's Toffee Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 pre-made pie crust
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup toffee bits
1 cup chopped pecans
22 pecan halves, for garnish

Directions:

1. Fit crust into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold under and crimp edges.
2. Preheat oven with a rack set in the lower third to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, salt, vanilla, almond extract, toffee bits, and chopped pecans.
3. Pour filling into pie crust. Top with pecans by evenly spacing 14 of them around the outer edge of pie filling. Make a second row by evenly spacing seven pecans in a smaller circle in the center; place 1 pecan in center.
4. Transfer pie to oven; bake for 20 minutes. Cover with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil and continue baking until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.