As a child, summer was always my favorite time of year. It meant no school, carefree days exploring the outdoors, and countless beach days.
As I’ve grown older, the heat and humidity of summer have become more oppressive, the summers-off no longer exist, and the responsibilities of “adulting” have become a reality. Fall has officially overtaken summer as my favorite season. There is just so much to love: crisp temperatures, falling leaves, cozy sweaters, and most of all, the food.
As the temperature here in the South has finally begun to drop, I find myself craving “comfort foods”: stews, braised meats, soups, and most of all, fall desserts. Those rich flavors of pumpkin, chocolate, apple and nuts along with the fragrant spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves always remind me of another reason to love fall, Thanksgiving. And what is Thanksgiving (or any other time of the year for that matter) without pie?
Pecan pie is one of my favorites and the following recipe incorporates both dark chocolate and coffee into the traditional filling. This adds balance to the sometimes cloying sweetness of some pecan pies. I especially enjoy a slice of this with a big dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I hope you do too.
Happy fall!
Georgia Kelly, Greyfield Inn Pastry Chef
Chocolate Coffee Pecan Pie (one 9” pie)
1 par baked pie crust (recipe below)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
3 T melted unsalted butter
3 eggs
3 tsp instant espresso powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
3 ounces dark chocolate (Valrhona 67% or other good quality dark chocolate)
Beat brown sugar and corn syrups. Add butter and mix until incorporated. Add eggs. Add espresso powder, cinnamon and salt. Add pecans and mix to coat. Sprinkle chocolate onto bottom of par baled crust. Top with pecan mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 40-45 minutes. If crust or filling become too brown, cover loosely with foil.
Pie Crust
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
8 T unsalted butter
4-5 T ice cold water
Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in food processor. Add butter and pulse until butter is about the size of peas. Slowly add water and pulse until dough just comes together. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes. Roll out and line pie pan. Crimp as desired. Chill in freezer about 30 minutes. Line with foil or parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans, Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until slightly browned. Remove from oven and remove parchment and beans. Return to oven and bake another 5-7 minutes.
Enjoy!
