Or it might be a tart….
A tart pan was used in the making of this pie. Or tart. Ugh, I don’t know. A tart pan with fluted edges and a removable bottom. Very French. Also, the cheapest thing I have ever purchased from William Sonoma. That store kills me.
For the purpose of this post and my sanity…let’s call it a pie. I am more of a pie gal, anyways.
Pie is very Saturday night family dinner, served by grandmas and eaten with mismatched forks and chipped plates around a crowded kitchen table while your brothers tell off color jokes and the resident 3+1/2 year old counts to 25, skipping the number 15 altogether…every single time.
Tarts are meant for catered wedding and baby showers and fancy brunches… Tarts sound like straight back chairs and uncomfortable couches that weren’t actually meant to sit on and throw pillows that are just to be admired, never ever ever used. Boring…stuffy?
Pies get ice cream.
Tarts…just a dollop of whipped cream.
I prefer ice cream and crowded kitchen tables….
Pie it is.
But I like the look of a tart (I am so torn!) The edges standing so straight and strong…yet so flaky and buttery and fragile. The removable bottom is key to that cherished edge. You wanna know what else is key?… greasing the edges of the pan…like, really greasing the edges…liberally is not to be taken lightly. Because if the tart won’t release from the sides of the pan…that removable bottom is useless and a disaster waiting to happen. Trust me. Butter. It. Up. Or make a pie crust (like the one below) that is so buttery…that there won’t be an issue on the release. Score!
Let’s make a pie. Or a tart…
You will need a pie crust. I attempted something new for me. All I can say is that David Lebovitz is a genius.
Chocolate. I really like the look of chopped chocolate.
Corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter … all in one pot. Just need heat.
Chocolate joins the party once the butter is melted. Now you have to wait. Patience!!
While the chocolate is cooling. Gather your eggs.
Frothy eggs.
What isn’t pictured is me whisking in the cooled chocolate into the eggs.
I needed more hands.
I only have 2.
I needed about 4.
So, onto the pecans…
Roasted pecans are a must…
Whole….chopped.
Pecans go on the bottom…They will rise to the top all on their own.
Kind of like magic.
This isn’t magic.
It is just darn good.
Fact.
Look at those fluted edges.
So darn pretty.
Gone.
| Chocolate Pecan Pie |
Crust
- 6 Tablespoons Butter, unsalted
- 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 3 Tablespoon Water
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Flour, slightly rounded
Filling
- 2/3 Cup Light Corn Syrup
- 2/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter, diced
- 4 Ounces SemiSweet Chocolate, chopped
- 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1+1/3 Cup Roasted Pecan Halves, roughly chopped.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In an oven proof bowl, combine butter, vegetable oil, water, sugar, and salt. Place in preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until butter starts to bubble.
- Remove from oven and very carefully (since the pan is hot!) quickly add flour and stir quickly until the mixture forms a ball and begins to pull away from the dish.
- Transfer the dough to a 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom and once it is cool enough to touch, press the dough into the tart pan, using the palm of your hands and your fingers to form it into the tart pan. Reserve a small amount (about the size of a marble) to patch any holes later.
- Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and patch any holes with reserved dough.
- Let the shell cool and prepare filling.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350F.
- In a medium sized sauce pan, combine corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts. Remove from heat, and add chocolate and salt. Let stand for 5 minutes, occasionally tilting pan so the warm liquid runs over the chocolate. Whisk until smooth and transfer to a medium sized bowl and let cool for an additional 10 minutes.
- Whisk together eggs and egg yolk until frothy. Beat in vanilla.
- Continue to whisk the eggs and slowly add in about half of the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in the remaining chocolate mixture.
- Evenly spread the roasted pecans over the bottom of the cooled tart shell.
- Carefully pour chocolate mixture over pecans…it will be VERY full. Transfer tart to a baking sheet and place in preheated oven and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until the filling is slightly puffy and cracked along the edges. The center will remain slightly wobbly.
- Transfer tart to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.
Crust adapted from David Lebovitz
Filling adapted from Pie
Fork Vs Spoon 
Your images are always so gorgeous. I’d love to frame ALL of these and put them in my kitchen. Also, whether it’s a pie or a tart, I think we can agree on two things:
1. It is most likely sinfully delicious.
2. It is gorgeous.
3. It is not cake
4. This is not two things. whoops.
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Kelly – Thank you so much! And, cake it is not 🙂 that I know!
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Who cares what it is when it looks that sinfully delicious. Your photos are absolutely stunning! So glad I found your site. Pinning this recipe!
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Thank you!
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Your pictures are absolutely incredible. My mouth is seriously watering for this beautiful pie/tart!
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Thank you!!
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This looks soo good. I love pecan pie and chocolate! I make Grandpa Walton’s Pie for Thanksgiving every year, it’s cross between a Pumpkin Pie and a Pecan Pie, I bet it would look even more beautiful as a Tart-Pie. Although, I do find that not all of the pecans rise to the top. Do you ever have this issue?
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