Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ingredients

• 1.25 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter – chilled, cut into 0.5-inch cubes
• 5 tbsp ice water – ice-cold
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour – for dusting the work surface
• 1.5 cups pecan halves – toasted and coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate – chopped
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter – cut into pieces
• 3 large eggs
• 0.5 cup light brown sugar – packed
• 0.75 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• whipped cream – for serving

Instructions

1. Make the pie dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the 1.25 cups all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and 0.5 tsp fine salt. Cut in the 8 tbsp chilled butter with a pastry blender or fingers until pea-sized pieces remain. Sprinkle in the ice water, 1 tbsp at a time (you may not need all of it), tossing just until the dough holds together when pressed.
2. Chill the dough: Form the dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Toast the pecans: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the pecan halves on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and slightly darkened, 8–10 minutes. Cool, then coarsely chop.
4. Roll and fit the crust: On a surface dusted with the 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Ease it into a 9-inch pie plate, trim to a 1-inch overhang, and fold/crimp. Freeze the shell until very firm, about 20 minutes. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower-middle rack to preheat.
5. Make the chocolate base: In a heatproof bowl, combine the chopped semisweet chocolate and the 4 tbsp butter. Melt gently over a saucepan of barely simmering water or in short microwave bursts, stirring until smooth. Let cool until just warm.
6. Mix the custard: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, light brown sugar, light corn syrup, vanilla extract, and the remaining 0.5 tsp fine salt until smooth. Whisk in the melted chocolate-butter mixture until fully blended, then fold in the chopped toasted pecans.
7. Fill and bake: Pour the filling into the frozen pie shell and set the pie on the preheated baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until the edges are set and puffed and the center still jiggles slightly when nudged, 50–60 minutes; the internal temperature should read about 200–205°F if checked. If the crust edges brown too quickly, tent them with foil after 30 minutes.
8. Cool and serve: Transfer the pie to a rack and cool completely until set, at least 3 hours. Slice and serve at room temperature with whipped cream, if desired.