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Thanksgiving: Chocolate, Date, and Pecan Pie

Source of Recipe

From "Cold Weather Cooking" by Sarah Leah Chase


Recipe Introduction

"I've never been too wild about the layer of custard that forms in the middle of most pecan pies, so I decided to experiment with a chewier, date-laced filling. I was crazy about the results and must add that the chocolate, coffee, and bourbon all conspire to make this one of the best pecan pies ever!"

List of Ingredients

Crust:
â—¦ 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt
â—¦ ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
â—¦ 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
â—¦ 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
â—¦ 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
â—¦ 3 tablespoons bourbon
â—¦ ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
â—¦ ½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
â—¦ ½ cup light corn syrup
â—¦ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
â—¦ 3 large eggs
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups coarsely chopped pitted dates
â—¦ 1 â…” cups pecan halves


Recipe

Prepare the crust:
Place the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor and process just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With the machine running, add the water through the feed tube and process just until the dough begins to form into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a 10-inch pie plate; trim and crimp the edge decoratively. Place the pie shell in the freezer while preparing the filling.

Place the chocolate chips, coffee, and bourbon in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together in a medium-size bowl. Beat in the corn syrup, vanilla, and eggs, one at a time. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture and the dates. Coarsely chop â…” cup of the pecans and stir into the filling. Pour the filling evenly into the prepared pie shell. Arrange the whole pecan halves in circles over the top of the pie.

Bake the pie until the filling is set, 45 to 50 minutes.
Cool to room temperature and serve in slices with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.

Makes 8 to 10 servings