Sunday Sweets -- Chocolate Pecan Pie

For Thanksgiving this week, I fixed Pumpkin Bread, M&M cake (which is the chocolate cake recipe from the eyeball cupcakes in large cake form -- picture here) and Chocolate Pecan Pie.

In the interest of complete honesty, this is NOT a
picture of my pecan pie.  I forgot to get a pic...
**sheepish grin**

This is another one of those "looks more impressive than it actually is" recipes.  It does have to be made the night before (and don't wait until too late at night since it has an especially long cooking time)....

You can use a homemade pie crust for this one, but it doesn't really make all that much difference.... I use both (well either), depending on how much time I have...

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 Pie Crust (room temperature)--  I prefer the refrigerated Pillsbury kind, but any will do...

2 T (Tablespoons) of Margarine (melted) -- (Yes, you can use salted butter, but it's gonna taste better if you just stick to the directions... You'll have to trust me on that.)

1 Cup of White Sugar -- Yes, plain old table sugar. The stuff most people put in coffee...


1 Cup of Karo Light Corn Syrup -- You can use any brand of light corn syrup, really...

3 Large Eggs 

1 1/2 t (teaspoon) of Vanilla Extract -- (Note: Pure Vanilla Extract has alchohol in it. A LOT. That said, you're using a tiny amount over 8 pieces of pie. You can find fake extract that doesn't have alcohol, but I've found that it doesn't taste quite the same. Even for the 20 years where I didn't eat food with alcohol in it, I made an exception for vanilla extract. But if you're not comfortable with it, use the other, no sweat.)

1 1/2 Cups (6 ounces) of Pecan pieces -- Doesn't really matter how big, but I like them roughly chopped.

Good Quality Chocolate -- I like Ghirardellis or Lindt with a high cocoa %, but any dark or semisweet chocolate will do in a pinch...

Cooking Spray -- Make sure you grease the bottom of the pan with something like Pam (I like the baking one for baking, but you can use the regular one if that's what you've got.)

Hardware:

Oven Thermometer -- If you don't have an oven thermometer (the kind that hangs from your oven rack) go buy one. They cost a couple of bucks and I promise you that your oven isn't actually the temperature that it says it is. It's not so important for cooking, but the correct temperature is essential for baking.

Pie Plate -- I like the glass Pyrex ones.

Large bowl

Measuring cups

Fork

Silicone spatula


Aluminum foil


Baking sheet

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Take room temperature pie crust and push it down firmly but gently into greased pie plate.  Take a fork or butter knife and cut away any crust that extends past the horozontal edge of the pie plate.  The easiest way to do this is to rest your knife on the outside edge and just slide the knife around the edge... Voila!

If you want to be fancy, take a fork and make a pattern on the outside edge by pushing the tines into the dough (hard enough to make a pattern, not hard enough to go through the dough)...

Now, mix together all the ingredients except the pecans until well combined with a fork.  Then mix in the pecan pieces.

Pour mixture into the pie shell and pop into the oven.  (This pie has a tendency to overflow a little, so I would suggest putting it on top of a large piece of foil or a cookie sheet so you don't end up cleaning the bottom of the oven).

Let bake for 60 minutes.  After the first 10-15 minutes, take 3" strips of foil and fold them in half lengthwise.  Use them to cover the edges of the pie crust (it doesn't have to be tight, just covered lightly) so that it doesn't burn.  Put back in oven to finish baking. 

After 60 minutes in the oven, check by gently touching the center of the pie (carefully... it IS hot).  If it is a little springy, the pie is done.  If it's not quite there, give it another 10 minutes in the oven...  It will still be liquidy, but you don't want it to be mush.  Don't freak out.  It will set up when removed from the oven and cooled. 
Take pie out of oven and let cool completely (about 2 hours).  Please be very careful.  Hot sugar (which is basically what the center of the pie is) will burn you pretty badly...

When cool, take the chocolate, break it into small pieces (don't go getting all OCD, just small pieces is fine) and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Put in microwave on medium power for 1 minute. Stir. Put back in on medium power for 30 seconds. Stir. You may have to do the 30 second thing a couple of times.

When it's melted nice and smooth, you take a fork and "scoop" up some chocolate. When you have a good drizzle going over the bowl, drizzle the chocolate back and forth over the pie. (If you're gonna be messy about it, I'd suggest putting some paper down under the pie....Just sayin').

Refrigerate.

Top with Cool Whip and serve. Yummy!!!!

To store, cover with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge.

Hope you enjoy! Happy Weekend!!!

Just Keep Coming Back

If you like what you've read, find a way to follow Being Anonymous... Click on the buttons in the top right corner to follow us on Twitter, "like" our FB Fan page, join our RSS feed... Y'know, whatever works for you.