Chocolate Pecan Pie

Happy Thanksgiving!! 

This recipe is a family favorite from my grandmother Mary Ann. Every Thanksgiving, we make this pie as a family. Unfortunately, I missed the baking this year because I was at school. Fortunately, my friend Ali was awesome enough to throw a Thanksgiving Potluck Party at her apartment, and kindly offered to bake it with me :) 

I'm not going to claim that this pie is healthy. There are ways to make it healthy. But let's be very honest about Thanksgiving: it's one of those times when food is supposed to be very decadent, very special, and shared with a large group of other people so no one eats too much of one thing. So don't be afraid to dig in for a big Thanksgiving meal, as long as you share with the people who love you most in the world- your family. 

If you really feel compelled to work off one of the best meals of the year, sign up for a Turkey Walk/Run, or simply go for a family walk after your meal :) 

The Recipe: Chocolate Pecan Pie

Crust: 

• 1.5 cups Flour
• 1 stick Butter
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• Water

Filling:

• 1 cup Karo Corn Syrup (Light or Dark)
• 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 stick Butter
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3 eggs

Topping:

• 1 cup roasted Pecans

The Process:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour and sugar for crust. 
3. Soften butter slightly and mince before stirring into dough. Your mixture should be rather chunky. 
4. Slowly add small amounts of water and stir, repeating this process until your dough forms one ball. 
5. Flour a hard surface. 
6. Roll out your dough to about 11 inches in diameter. this will allow you to fill a 9 inch pie plate and have enough dough to cover the sides as well.
   
   
   
    
7. Put your dough in the pie plate and pinch the sides of the crust in a desired pattern.
8. Keep crust chilled while you make the filling. 
9. Soften the butter in the microwave.
10. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, setting it for only 30 seconds or so and stirring before heating again. This is REALLY important, because the chocolate will burn and it is not easy to get burnt chocolate off of anything. 
11. Mix all ingredients (except pecans) together in a large bowl using a hand mixer. 
12. Pour into crust. 
13. Top with pecans. 
14. Bake for about an hour, watching and testing to see that it is finished. 
15. Allow to cool for an hour before serving. 
16. Allow yourself to indulge!

The Calories: 
Flour: 683 calories
Butter: 150 calories
Sugar: 96 calories
Karo: 1920 calories
Chocolate: 160 calories

Vanilla Extract: 6 calories
Eggs: 234 calories
Pecans: 684 calories
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TOTAL: 3933 calories

Granted, this is for an entire pie. It depends how large your slices are, but it should serve at least 8-10 because it is very rich, which means a serving is 492-393 calories per serving.

What went right:
         The pie was absolutely delicious and the crust was perfection.

What went wrong:
         The cooling time is very important. If you don't want a slight chocolate lava pie, allow it to cool completely. I cut it only just too early, but it was still very good.

Would I do this again:
         Absolutely. Only for a group of people, never for just me, but absolutely. I might even consider making a miniature version of the pie for personal consumption.

What would I do next time:
        Other than allow it to cool completely, nothing. This pie is a family favorite and personal favorite. There is nothing that should be added or taken away from it. Even whipped cream would take away from the amazing. However, if this pie is being served in smaller slices, a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is a tremendous complement.

Overall, this is my absolute favorite pie of all time hands down.

...and to that statement and to myself (and to all of you wonderful people!) I say: Challenge accepted. ;)