Pecan't Pie

For crust, cut 1/4 cup butter into small pieces and freeze 1 hour. In a food processor, combine flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt; pulse a few times to mix. Add the frozen butter and the shortening. Pulse a dozen times until butter is the size of peas. Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough begins to form a ball. Gather pastry into a ball, kneading gently just until it holds together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured work surface, use your hands to slightly flatten pastry. Roll pastry into a 12-inch circle. Fold pastry into fourths and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Unfold and ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry even with the plates' edge. Crimp edge as desired.

Preheat oven to 350°. For filling, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, 1 1/4 cups sugar, the corn syrup, softened butter, vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt until evenly incorporated. Pour into pastry in pie plate.

In a medium bowl, combine pretzels, melted butter and 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir to coat pretzels. Sprinkle topping evenly over pie filling.

Bake 1 hour, covering with foil after 30 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Cool completely on a wire rack.