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Chocolate: Individual Chocolate Nut Pies

Source of Recipe

Jacques Pepin from the book Jacques Pepin's Kitchen: Encore with Claudine


List of Ingredients

For the Crust


5 graham crackers
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons sugar
For the Filling


2/3 cup mixed nuts (pecan, almonds and pignola nuts, with the pignola nuts reserved in a separate bowl)
3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 large egg, lightly beaten with a fork
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract



Recipe

1. Place the graham crackers, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, canola oil and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and process for 1 minute, until the mixture is finely chopped, mealy and starting to come together.

2. Divide the graham cracker misture among four ramekins, each with a capacity of 1 cup, and press the mixture evenly into the bottom and around the sides of each cup to create a shell. (NOTE: Although these desserts usually slide easily from their molds when cooled briefly after baking, lining your ramekins first with aluminum foil will eliminate any concerns about the crusts breaking when the desserts are unmolded.)

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the Filling

4. Place the pecans and almonds in the bowl of a food processor and process them for a few seconds to chop them coarsely. Stir in the pignola nuts and divide the nuts among the graham cracker-lined ramekins.

5. Melt the chocolate and the 2 teaspoons butter in a microwave oven or in the top of a double boiler set over hot water. Add the cornstarch, mix well, then add the corn syrup and mix it in well. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Divide the mixture among the four ramekins.

6. Arrange the ramekins on a tray and bake the pies in the middle of the preheated 350-degree oven for about 25 minutes, until the filling is set but still somewhat soft in the middle. Cool the ramekins to lukewarm or room temperature on a rack.

7. At serving time, invert each of the ramekins onto a dessert plate, and if using aluminum foil, gently peel it off the crusts. Carefully turn the ramekins right side up and return them to the plates. Serve at room temperature.

YIELD: 4 Servings