Kahlúa Chocolate Pecan Pie {PIE #1}

Do you love the buttery flavor of pecans? I really do. Pecan pie is so delicious, and I believe this is because it combines the classic flavors of sweetness, from the brown sugar, and buttery goodness of pecans. Imagine now, if you took those two flavors and added a hint of coffee and an embellishment of good, quality chocolate. Have you ever asked why they don’t make a candy bar with those flavors? Believe me, I have. The combination is sublime.

For this particular pie, which I do believe is spectacular, I prepared a pastry crust. But I would equally support a cookie crust. So choose for yourself. Either way you will be happy with the results.

Since I made it with a pastry crust, I used the leftover scraps of pastry to cut out leaf shapes. I brushed them with an egg white and heavily sprinkled granulated sugar over them, then baked them on a cookie sheet for about 8 minutes. Once the pie is done baking, you can arrange the leafs on the top, as pictured.

Ingredients

Pastry for Single-Crust Pie (Try: Perfect Buttery Pie Crust Recipe)

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream

4 eggs, room temperature

¾ cup light-color corn syrup

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons butter, melted

3 Tablespoons coffee liqueur (such as, Kahlúa)

3/4 cup chopped pecans + about 3/4 cup whole pecans to decorate the top

Additional: 1 Egg white, and granulated sugar for sprinkling, for making pastry garnish for top, if desired.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F. Prepare Pastry for Single-Crust Pie. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Line a 9-inch foil pie pan with pastry. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry. Melt chocolate chips in a small sauté pan on low heat. Add 1 Tablespoon heavy cream to the chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth. Spread in the bottom of the prepared pine crust.

For filling, in a bowl, combine eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, coffee liqueur, . Stir in the pecans. Slowly pour filling over chocolate in crust, spreading evenly. Top with whole pecans in a decorative pattern. Bake for 37-40 minutes. Filling will be puffy. Check the pie for doneness by inserting a metal knife near the center. It is done when the knife comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store uneaten pie in the refrigerator, up to 1 week.

Although its not pictured here, I recommend serving this pie with some fresh whipped cream as a garnish. (Optional)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon powdered sugar.

Beat cream and sugar together in a clean stainless steel bowl on high speed until desired consistency is achieved. Serve a dollop of whipped cream on or next to the slice of pie.