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Pie Pastry:
1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) chunks
3 - 4 tablespoons ice cold water
Pecan Filling:
1 1/2 cups (150 grams) pecans
2 ounces (55 grams) semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or 2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (105 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) (225 grams) golden syrup or corn syrup (light or dark)
1/4 cup (60 ml) cream
4 tablespoons (55 grams) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 tablespoon bourbon or rum (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) salt
12 whole pecan halves (optional)
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Pie Pastry: In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the cold butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (about 15 seconds). Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of ice water over the pastry and process just until the pastry holds together when pinched. Add a little more water, if necessary. Turn the pastry out onto your work surface, form it into a large round, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out (about 30 - 60 minutes).
Once the pastry has chilled, remove from refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 13 inch (33 cm) round. To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards to get uniform thickness). Lightly roll the pastry around your rolling pin and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and tuck the overhanging pastry under itself. Use a fork to make a decorative border or else crimp the edges using your fingers. Refrigerate the pastry, covered with plastic wrap, while you make the pecan filling.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
Pecan Filling: To toast the pecans. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 6 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
In a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. (You can melt the chocolate in the microwave.) Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, and then whisk in the sugars, golden syrup or corn syrup, cream, melted butter, bourbon (or vanilla extract), and salt. Then stir in the melted chocolate and chopped pecans.
Remove the chilled pastry crust from the refrigerator and place the pie plate on a large baking sheet. Carefully pour the filling into the pie crust. Arrange the whole pecans halves in a decorative pattern on top of the filling. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling has just set. It will still be a little wobbly when gently shaken. (If you find the edges of the pie crust are over browning during baking, cover with a pie shield or foil.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream.
Makes one 9 inch (23 cm) pie.
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Chocolate Pecan Pie has a soft and gooey filling that is rich with chocolate, pecans, sugar, corn syrup, butter, and eggs. Southerners often add a splash of bourbon or rum to the filling which enhances the slightly bittersweet, almost caramel-like flavor of the pecans and also counteracts the sweetness of the pie. While Pecan Pie is probably the South's most famous dessert, its' history is unclear. What we do know is that recipes started to appear in the mid 1920s and since this pie often contains Karo syrup, it might have been developed by a Karo's home economist.
A Chocolate Pecan Pie starts with a short crust pastry, which has a crumbly texture and wonderful buttery flavor that pairs well with the sweet pecan filling. The pastry crust doesn't need to be pre baked since the pie is going to be baked in the lower third of the oven. You will, however, need to watch for over browning on the edges of the crust, and if this starts to happen, just cover the edges with a pie shield or a strip of foil.
Pecan Pie is, of course, all about the filling. The chopped pecans used in the filling are toasted which enhances their flavor and to give the pie a more decorative look, whole pecan halves can be placed on top of the filling. This chocolate pecan filling is the same as the recipe for the Pecan Pie only we added some melted semi sweet chocolate. The recipe calls for either corn syrp (light or dark) or golden syrup. Golden Syrup is a British sugarcane syrup that is thick like molasses, amber colored, with a rich delicate flavor. I find that using golden syrup, instead of corn syrup, keeps the pecan pie sweet but not cloyingly so. You can usually find this product in some grocery stores or else in specialty stores or on the net.