You can’t go wrong with a rich dessert that pairs salty and sweet like a salted caramel chocolate pecan pie. It’s finished with a flaky sea salt, a pool of caramel and pecan halves on top.
It’s pretty much impossible not to think about pie this time of year.
No dessert seems more appropriate as Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving approach.
Pie is not something that I bake that often, but when I do I am always reminded of what I’ve been missing.
Number 1 is that buttery crust. I say the flakier and messier each bite, the better.
Of course, the filling is important, too.
Fruit is always a sure bet, especially apples. You can’t go wrong with an apple pie, ever.
But don’t forget other filling options. A pecan pie is a total classic.
The other weekend I needed to take dessert to a dinner at a friend’s house.
Feeling the urge for a decadent slice, I baked a salted caramel chocolate pecan pie.
No surprise, it was a hit.
One of the things I like most about making pie, is that you do it in steps. And you can space out the tasks to fit your schedule.
First I make the dough. I do it in the food processor because it’s quick.
Also, I don’t have to handle the dough as much and risk the butter getting too soft.
The dough needs to rest for at least 1 hour, but I recommend making it a day in advance and letting it chill in the fridge.
After that, I roll out the dough to fit into a pie dish. Then I trim the overhang and crimp the edges.
Once again the dough needs to chill. This time it’s in the dish.
Giving the dough another round to chill, helps to prevent it from shrinking as it bakes.
Yes, I always start by blind baking this crust by lining it with aluminum foil and filling it with dried beans to act as pie weights.
While the empty crust s baking, I make the chocolate filling, a combination of sugar, melted butter, flour cocoa powder, corn syrup, vanilla extract, eggs and chopped pecans.
Then I pour the filling into the pie shell and bake it.
The salted caramel is a decorative element that’s added after the pie has finished baking.
Then the final decorations are pecan halves. I like arranging them in concentric circles and more or less covering the entire pool of caramel except a border on the edge.
You can’t go wrong with a rich dessert that pairs salty and sweet like a salted caramel chocolate pecan pie. It’s finished with a flaky sea salt, a pool of caramel and pecan halves on top.
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