Chocolate Espresso Pecan Pie

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Serves eight to ten.

To learn more, read:
Go Nuts: Add Pecans to More Than Just Pie
by Karen Barker
from Fine Cooking
Issue 88
Last Edit Date: 5/19/2011 4:00:28 PM

more about:

For the crust:

6 oz. (1-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling out the crust
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (put it in the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting)

For the filling:

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbs. instant espresso powder (or instant coffee)
2 Tbs. coffee liqueur (Kahlúa or Caffé Lolita)
2 cups lightly toasted, coarsely chopped pecans
About 1/2 cup perfect pecan halves

Make the crust:

Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor just to blend. Add the butter and shortening and pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, 8 to 10 pulses. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Tossing and stirring quickly with a fork, gradually add enough cold water (2 to 4 Tbs.) that the dough just begins to come together. It should clump together easily if lightly squeezed but not feel wet or sticky. With your hands, gather the dough and form it into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Chill the dough for 2 hours or up to 2 days before rolling. The dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature until pliable, 10 to 15 minutes. On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick, 13-inch-diameter round. Be sure to pick up the dough several times and rotate it, reflouring the surface lightly to prevent sticking. I use a giant spatula or the bottom of a removable-bottom tart pan to move the dough around. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch Pyrex pie pan and trim the edges so there's a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold the overhang underneath itself to create a raised edge and then decoratively crimp or flute the edge. (Save the scraps for patching the shell later, if necessary). Chill until the dough firms up, at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator or 20 minutes in the freezer.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line the pie shell with parchment and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until the edges of the crust are light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and beans or weights. If necessary, gently repair any cracks with a smear of the excess dough. Transfer the shell to a rack to cool.

Make the filling:

Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave or in a small metal bowl set in a skillet of barely simmering water, stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Dissolve the instant espresso in 1 Tbs. hot water and add to the egg mixture, along with the coffee liqueur and the melted chocolate and butter. Whisk to blend.

Evenly spread the toasted pecan pieces in the pie shell. To form a decorative border, arrange the pecan halves around the perimeter of the pie shell, on top of the pecan pieces, keeping the points of the pecans facing in and the backs just touching the crust. Carefully pour the filling over the pecans until the shell is three-quarters full. Pour the remaining filling into a liquid measuring cup or small pitcher. Transfer the pie to the oven and pour in the remaining filling. (The pecans will rise to the top as the pie bakes.)

Bake the pie until the filling puffs up, just starts to crack, and appears fairly set, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer it to a rack and allow it to cool completely (at least 4 hours) before serving.

Make Ahead Tips

This pie tastes best if cooled and then refrigerated for several hours or overnight.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve the pie lightly chilled with a dollop of very lightly sweetened whipped cream.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : based on ten servings; Calories (kcal): 650; Fat (g): 42; Fat Calories (kcal): 380; Saturated Fat (g): 12; Protein (g): 8; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 18; Carbohydrates (g): 66; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 8; Sodium (mg): 120; Cholesterol (mg): 110; Fiber (g): 5;

Photo: Scott Phillips

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by Becca38, 11/23/2010This was so beautiful and tasty,it's become a thanksgiving tradition in my family! I never much cared for regular pecan pie but this is heavenly.

by Melles, 6/12/2009The pie is exceptionally beautiful and taste great, much better than traditional pecan pie. Ｉ　made it for our Thanksgiving;every one loved it. My family asked me to make it again for Christmas and made it for my friend's Christmas gift.They also loved it.

by SarahShuhart, 10/30/2008This was an interesting one to try, but I thought that the espresso taste was a little too strong. I like adding just enough coffee flavor to really bring out the chocolate flavor, but this was just too overpowering. If I were to make this again, I'd cut the espresso content to a third of what the recipe calls for

by ANGELAREMSEN, 7/1/2008Excellent, I needed to save time and used a deep dish pie shell. The filling ran over on me a bit, the only reason for the 4 stars. Overall taste is very good, but I think I prefer traditional pecan pie better.

by cherry, 6/30/2008My first pecan pie and I love the chocolate espresso part! So much better than the traditional one.

by MandM, 12/18/2007The only pie to be finished at our Thanksgiving dinner (and there were 4 different pies to choose from!). If you're looking for a pecan pie with a slight chocolate taste - this isn't it. This filling has a brownie-like filling instead of the traditional pecan pie filling and it definitely a chocolate lovers take on pecan pie.

by merlincat, 12/18/2007Outstanding; far exceeded expectations and was a huge hit even among those folks who generally are lukewarm or indifferent to pecan pie. It had the perfect texture and perfect blend of flavors. I misread the recipe and used bittersweet chocolate instead of unsweetened; I didn't realize until well after the entire pie had been devoured, to much praise and many requests for the recipe. It was so good that I'm tempted to make it that way every time!

by tedjohn, 12/8/2007This pie was fantastic, and at the Thanksgiving feast I attended, everyone was crazy for it! While it was somewhat labor intensive, it was enjoyable to learn the process (I've never made a pecan pie before) and the instuctions were excellent. The pie crust was my downfall, however. I read all the directions several times, in addition to the article in the same magazine about how to roll out a perfect pie crust. Plus, this wasn't the first time I've made a pie before; I consider myself a good baker. But this crust did everything I didn't want– it cracked, it stuck, it rolled out irregularly– yikes! I somehow managed to cobble it together and get it baked. Heck, the pie still turned out amazing! I guess I'll try another crust next time and see what happens. Anyway, thanks Karen, for a superb tasting treat of a pie. Best, Ted

by runnerfemme, 12/1/2007I liked this recipe so much, I am making a few to give to neighbors as holiday gifts. I made this for Thanksgiving, along with a pumpkin pie and gingerbread cupcakes w/ cream cheese frosting. This went first -- and the other desserts I made were also quite good. People simply raved about this pie -- lots of big eyes and "this is sooo good"... The recipe instructions were clear and the pie turned out just as beautiful as the picture. What more could you ask for?

by DurhamYankee, 11/26/2007I made this for Thanksgiving and it was enjoyed by all. The most frequent comment was "This is the best pecan pie I have ever had!" I followed the recipe exactly for the filling, but did save some time by using a purchased pie crust. A bit of whipped cream on top of the pie goes nicely and cuts the sweetness a bit. This will be on our table again soon. We are proud of our hometown chef for coming up with such an awesome dessert!

by tophe, 11/24/2007Fine Cooking almost never lets me down, but I was very disappointed with this. The recipe would be better titled brownie pie with pecans. I was expecting a consistency similar to traditional pecan pie, but it was fudge like. If you are looking for a strong chocolate flavor consider this, but check for doneness 20 minutes before the recipe says.

by trolon, 11/23/2007

by NMCooker, 11/23/2007Easy and came out really well. The chopped nuts and chocolate cut the sweetness from normal pecan pies.

by skippy66, 11/14/2007Just OK. Too many flavors. I think I like plain old pecan pie a lot better.

by Gail B, 10/9/2007This was a rich and chocoholic delight. I received many compliments but I only believe guests when they ask for the recipe - which they did. I would like to make these as tarts for an event I am going to. I would follow the recipe with less cooking time and check for doneness by the slight cracking on top? Could these be frozen?