Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

Name: Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 300 g all-purpose flour (for pastry); 75 g cold unsalted butter, cubed (for pastry); 100 g cream cheese, cubed (for pastry); 1 tbsp powdered sugar (for pastry); 150 g unsalted butter (for filling); 200 ml maple syrup; 250 g light brown sugar; 100 g dark brown sugar; 4 large eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 400 g pecans, lightly toasted; 200 g dark chocolate chips

From the kitchen of Carly

Classic Southern pecan pie with dark chocolate chips folded into the maple-and-brown-sugar filling. The chocolate makes it a show-off dessert; the buttery pastry keeps it grounded. Make a day ahead. Toast the pecans in a dry pan for 5 minutes before using. Untoasted pecans taste flat next to the rest of the filling.

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Total: 3 hr
Servings: 12
Difficulty: hard

Ingredients

12 servings

300 gall-purpose flour (for pastry)
75 gcold unsalted butter, cubed (for pastry)
100 gcream cheese, cubed (for pastry)
1 tbsppowdered sugar (for pastry)
150 gunsalted butter (for filling)
200 mlmaple syrup
250 glight brown sugar
100 gdark brown sugar
4large eggs
1 tspvanilla extract
400 gpecans, lightly toasted
200 gdark chocolate chips

Instructions

Make the pastry. In a food processor, pulse the flour, cold butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt until the mix looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
With the blade running, drizzle 2 to 3 tsp of cold water through the funnel. Stop when the dough starts to clump.
Tip the dough onto a clean surface and press it together into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Roll the chilled dough out on a floured surface to a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Drape over a 9-inch deep tart pan with a removable bottom. Press into the corners and up the sides, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang.
Line with parchment paper and fill with baking beans or dried rice.
Blind-bake for 18 minutes, until the edges are set. Remove the parchment and beans and bake for 5 more minutes until the base looks golden.
Trim the overhang flush with the rim using a serrated knife. Patch any cracks with extra dough scraps if needed.
Make the filling. In a saucepan, combine the 150g butter, maple syrup, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt. Heat over medium-low until the butter melts and sugars dissolve, stirring until smooth.
Pull off the heat and let cool 10 minutes (otherwise the eggs will scramble).
Reduce the oven to 325°F (160°C).
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Slowly stream in the cooled syrup mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in the vanilla and toasted pecans.
Pour half the filling into the tart shell. Scatter half the chocolate chips. Top with the remaining filling, then the rest of the chips.
Bake on the middle rack for 50 to 55 minutes. The top should be set with only a slight wobble at the very center.
Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing. Best the next day.

Substitutions

cream cheese pastry to store-bought pie crust. No shame in the shortcut. Skip the first three steps and blind-bake straight from the package directions.
maple syrup to dark corn syrup. Corn syrup is the traditional Southern choice. Maple gives the modern take more depth.
dark chocolate chips to chopped dark chocolate or bourbon-soaked raisins. Bourbon raisins are an old-school move. 1/2 cup raisins soaked in 2 tbsp bourbon for an hour.

Pairs well with: A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, Lightly sweetened whipped cream with a splash of bourbon, Strong black coffee or a small glass of port

Adapted from TheMealDB.