Chocolate Pecan Pie

Last Friday morning John Bauer and Heidi Holtan talked to Nancie McDermott about her latest cookbook, "Southern Pies:  A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes, from Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecan".  One of the many tips Nancie gave was that she doesn't believe people should worry about a crust.  "It's the filling that matters", she said.  Our crack group of reporters say that this interview caused many people to eat more pie over the weekend.

"Frankly, we're a little worried.  On the one hand it may just be too much pie eating in the KAXE listening area.  On the other, what if people are pie-d out by Thanksgiving?"

Hopefully, KAXE caused no pie difficulties in your life.  Here's the recipe for Chocolate Pecan Pie.  Make at your own risk.

CHOCOLATE-PECAN PIE from Southern Pies by Nancie McDermott.  Published by Chornicle Books
Simply luscious and rich, but not hard to make at all, this pie is a modern favorite.  It's a good choice when you need a make-ahead, take-along dessert.  Let it come to room temperature before serving if it has been refrigerated for more than two hours.

Pastry for a 9-inch single-crust pie
1/2 c. butter
3 squares (3 oz) unsweetened chocolate
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. dark or light corn syrup
4 eggs, beaten well
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) coarsely chopped pecans

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 9-inch pie pan with crust and then crimp the edges decoratively.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and chocolate over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often, until the chocolate and butter melt and you can stir them together into a smooth sauce, 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the sugar and corn syrup.  Stir and combine well.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and and salt, and stir to mix everything together into a thick, smooth chocolate filling.  Add the pecans, stir well, and pour the filling into the piecrust.

Place the pie on the bottom rack of the oven.  Bake until the filling puffs up and is fairly firm in the middle, 30-40 minutes.

Place the pie on a cooling rack or a folded kitchen towel, and let cool to room temperature.