Thanksgiving Dessert #1

I bet everyone is on the edge of their seats, thinking how did the Thanksgiving desserts turn out...well here is one.

Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie
*Looks can be deceiving :)
So, I made a few mistakes...not gonna lie. It's not until I was typing out this recipe that I learned that I should have melted the chocolate (FYI it works if you don't too :D ), as well as folded the crust decoratively. No wonder it looks like it does. haha. I also overcooked it slightly.

That said...I have never had or made Pecan Pie. Scratch heated some up for me last night and I thought it was delicious. It may not look like much...and that was one reason I hadn't planned on showing the recipe...but it was pretty good. So here ya go!



Serves: 8
Active Time: 40 min
Start to Finish: 3 hrs (includes making crust)

Ingredients:
1 (3.5-4 oz) fine-quality 60%-70% cocao bittersweet chocolate bar, finely chopped. ---I used dark chocolate.
Pastry dough (recipe below)
2 cups pecan halves (7 oz), toasted (directions below)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
Accompaniment: lightly sweetened whipped cream

Pastry Dough
Makes enough for a 9-inch, single crust pie
Active time: 10 min
Start to Finish: 1 1/4 hrs

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3-5 Tbsp ice water --I used 1/2 ice water, 1/2 vodka

1. Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle 3 Tbsp water (water/vodka mix) evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
2. Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 Tbsp at a time, stirring until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or crust will be hard.
3. Turn out dough onto work surface. Divide into 4 portions. With the heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together with a pastry scraper. Press into ball, the flatten into a 5-inch disk.
4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until form, at least an hour.

Pecans
1. Preheat over to 350F.
2. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Spread pecans in a single layer on parchment paper.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove and allow to cool before using them.

Pie
1. Preheat oven to 375F with rack in middle.
2. Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over barely simmering water, stirring. Remove from heat.
3. Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured pin. Fit into a 9-inch plate. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and press against pie plate, then crimp decoratively.
4. Spread chocolate in bottom of of pie shell with back of spoon and let it set, then cover with pecans.
5. Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl, then whisk in corn syrup and pour over pecans.
6. Bake pie until filling is puffed and crust is golden, 50-60 minutes ( I would do 45-50). If pie is browning too fast, after 30 minutes, loosley cover with foil. Cool pie on rack to warm or room temperature. Serve with whipped cream.