Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie

Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie

Serves8

• Active time:40 min
• Start to finish:3 hr (includes making pastry)

November 2007

Here we’ve taken pecan pie above and beyond its usual corn-syrupy incarnation. A layer of bittersweet chocolate adds richness to the dessert while simultaneously balancing its sweetness. And an abundance of pecans makes for a supremely satisfying filling.

• 1 (3 1/2- to 4-oz) fine-quality 60%- to 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate bar, finely chopped
• Pastry dough
• 2 cups pecan halves (7 oz), toasted and cooled
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup dark corn syrup

• Accompaniment:

  lightly sweetened whipped cream

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

Cooks’ note: Pie can be baked 1 day ahead and chilled, uncovered, until cool, then covered. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warm, about 10 minutes.


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Pastry Dough

Makesenough for 1 (9-inch) single-crust pie or 1 (9- to 11-inch) tart shell

• Active time:10 min
• Start to finish:1 1/4 hr

November 2007

Basic is best when it comes to piecrust. There’s no need to fiddle with this multipurpose flaky pastry.

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water

• Equipment:

  a pastry or bench scraper

• 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 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface. Divide dough into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together with pastry scraper. Press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

Cooks’ notes:

• If you’re making two desserts that call for this pastry dough, you can make a double batch.
• Pastry dough can be chilled up to 2 days or frozen, wrapped well, up to 3 months.