Recipes

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Jimmy Bannos, Jr.

The Purple Pig, Chicago

This is a real American-style dessert in all its gloppy chocolaty glory. It cries out for vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

  • Pie dough for 1 10-inch, deep-dish pie plate
  • 3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into several pieces
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1 1/4 cups pecan halves, toasted

Method

Roll out the pie dough to 1/8-inch thick and line a 10-inch, deep-dish pie plate. Crimp the edges. Let the pie shell rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Combine the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler over simmering water and whisk until melted. Whisk in the vanilla extract and the eggs, one at a time. Whisk in the sugar, beating for about 2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Add the corn syrup and beat until incorporated.

Remove the mixture from the heat and cool slightly.

Take the pie shell out of the refrigerator. Sprinkle the pecans over the bottom of the shell. Carefully pour the chocolate filling mixture over the nuts.

Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 275ºF and bake an additional 50 minutes. If the edges begin to brown too much, cover with foil. At that point, although the pie will jiggle slightly, it is done; it continues to cook after it is removed from the oven. Let cool for 2 hours, then refrigerate for 45 minutes before cutting. Serve with ice cream.

Yield

10 servings