Rich Chocolate Pecan Pie

November 26, 2009



You have to have pie on Thanksgiving, and I already had a pumpkin dessert - so why not try this pecan pie? I never really had a pecan pie before; this pie had chocolate in it, and the directions were simple enough... How could I go wrong?

I'm glad that I made this pie! This pecan pie was rich and not too sweet. I did not use the caramel sauce - didn't miss it, served the pie with vanilla ice cream. The only thing that i will change the next time I make this pie is to put the chocolate chips in the bottom of the pie, then the pecans over the chips. I reversed the order when I first made the pie - everything turned out good but you couldn't really see the pecans. This pie is great the next day!

Cook Time: 1hr - Level: Intermediate - Yield: 1 pie

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• Caramel Sauce, for garnish, recipe follows
• Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread the pecan pieces and the chocolate chips evenly on the bottom of the pie shell.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Pour the filling over the pecans. Bake until the filling sets, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Cut into individual servings and serve with a drizzle of Caramel Sauce and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Caramel Sauce:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup whole milk

Combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium heavy saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Add the cream (be careful; it will bubble up), whisk to combine, and remove from the heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, then add up to 2 more tablespoons, until the desired consistency is reached. Let cool until just warm before serving. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.)