Here is a Pecan Pie variation with melted chocolate. It’s slightly gooey, slightly crunchy and very sweet. You are going to love it!

With Thanksgiving only a few days away it is time to start narrowing down the dishes you are going to make. If it’s your turn to bring some dessert this year, give it a try and bake this delicious, ultra decadent Chocolate Pecan Pie. It is very rich, with a sweet filling and buttery crust. It is one of Martha Stewart’s recipes I found  a few years ago. I used corn syrup  instead of maple syrup and brown sugar instead of granulated.

Every great pie needs an excellent pie crust. Pie dough requires flour, fat, water, salt and sugar. There are many recipes for pie dough out there using only butter, vegetable shortening,  cream cheese, sour cream or a combination of these as a source of fat. Some suggest using vodka instead of water, too. I haven’t tried that one yet but will report when I do :).For my Mini Apple Pies I used sour cream and butter to make the dough. This time I used only butter as the fat to get that extra rich flavor. The crust was crunchy and still a bit flaky which is what you want in a pie crust.

This pie dough recipe yields enough for 1 double-crusted or 2 single-crusted pies. Start by cutting 2 sticks of butter into cubes and freezing 3/4 of them. Refrigerate the remaining butter. In a food processor combine flour, sugar and salt. Add the refrigerated butter and pulse to combine, about 5-8 times. Next, add the frozen butter and pulse until you have a pea-sized pieces. Pour in 1/2 cup of icy water and process 3-4 times until it’s all incorporated. It should be slightly sticky. Divide it in half, press each half into a disk and wrap each one in plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hrs (up to 2 days) or freeze (up to 1 month). Bring it to room temperature before rolling out on a floured surface.Use a rolling pin to transfer the pie dough into the pie dish. If you accidentally make a hole in the dough just patch it with some extra dough. It won’t show. Trim the edges to the same length (about 1 inch over the edge of your pie dish), fold the extra underneath so it doesn’t go over the edge and pinch to make the decorative edge.

To make the filling you need to mix together slightly beaten eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Then slowly pour in melted chocolate and stir well. Pour the prepared filling into the pie dish. Decorate with pecan halves.You need about 1 cup of pecan halves to decorate the whole pie.

Bake the pie at 350 degrees for about 1 hr. It should very slightly jiggle in the middle when done. Cool it overnight before serving.

Makes: one 9-inch pie           Prep time: 45 minutes        Ready in: 3 hrs plus                                                                                                                 overnight cooling  

Ingredients:

All-Butter Pie Dough:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cubed, divided, frozen
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 2 1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Pecan Filling:

• 4 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup maple syrup B grade
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pecan halves

Serve: whipped cream

Directions:

1. Pie dough: cube the butter, freeze 3/4 of it and refrigerate the rest. Using a food processor combine flour, salt and sugar. Add the refrigerated butter and pulse 5-8 times. Add frozen butter and pulse, until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 8-10 times. Add icy water and pulse until just incorporated. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hrs (up to 2 days).
2. Pie filling: melt the chocolate and set aside. In a large bowl mix together eggs, maple syrup, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Slowly pour in the melted chocolate and stir well.
   
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Bring 1 disk of dough to room temperature. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and roll out the dough into 10-11 inch circle. Using a rolling pin transfer the dough onto the buttered 9 or 10- inch baking dish. Fold the dough around the edges and pinch to make the decorative pattern.
5. Pour in the prepared filling and add pecan halves.
6. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the edges are golden and the center jiggles very slightly.
7. Cool overnight. Serve with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.