This was, quite possibly, one of the best pecan pies I’ve ever had. Not that I eat pecan pie very often (I don’t), but it is simply just that decadent. Enough so to make me end my 4-month period of blogging absenteeism. Enjoy!
For the pie crust:
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
⅜ cup ice-cold water
- In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Fold the butter cubes into the dry mixture until they are coated.
- Place the mixture in the bowl of a food processor and pulse in 5-second intervals until the butter cubes are reduced to the size of small marbles.
- While pulsing in quick bursts, drizzle the cold water through the feed tube and continue to pulse until the dough has formed a ball. Tip: The plunger for my food processor’s feed tube actually has a couple of tiny holes at the bottom, so I was able to just pour all of the water into the plunger and let it take care of the rest.
- Flatten the ball into a 5- to 8-inch disc and then wrap in parchment paper and plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. (If making the crust in advance, it can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for up to 3 months.)
- Grease and flour a glass pie dish.
- Once the dough is firm, roll it into a 12-inch circle and transfer it to the pie dish. Fold any overhang under and crimp the edges as you go.
- Cover the crust in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at 2 hours.
For the filling:
2 cups pecan halves
3 large eggs
¾ cup light corn syrup
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
4 tbsp. packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. bourbon (optional)
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
⅛ tsp. salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
- Toast the pecans. Spread them out on a lined baking sheet and place in the oven @ 250°F until dry and crisp, checking frequently to make sure that they do not burn.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, then add in the corn syrup, sugars, vanilla extract, bourbon (if using), melted butter, and salt. Continue to whisk until combined.
- Coarsely chop ¾ cup of the toasted pecans and fold them into the mixture.
- Remove the pie crust from the freezer, unwrap it, and scatter the semisweet chocolate evenly over the bottom.
- Gently pour the mixture over the chocolate.
- Place the remaining pecans on top of the mixture and press down until they are incorporated into the mixture.
- Bake the pie for 30 minutes at 325°F. After 30 minutes, cover the edge of the crust with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until set.
- Cool the pie on a wire rack and eat warm or at room temperature.
