Gold Medal Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie

My inspiration for Gold Medal Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie is that I am kind of obsessed with old school recipes. I recently came across this 1953 advertisement for Betty Crocker’s Chocolate Brownie Pie, which was originally published in House & Garden magazine. It sounded like my kind of pie (gooey brownies in a pie crust, anyone?), so I set out to recreate it.

The first test-run tasted pretty good, actually, but it didn’t exactly seem like a “brownie pie” per-say but more like a chocolate pecan pie in flavor and texture. I retested the recipe a few more times with some upgrades along the way (think salt, dark chocolate, and bourbon) for an intense flavor boost and a pretty little visual makeover. It’s a winner!

Just a little side note: I named this dessert Gold Medal Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie for two reasons:

One, the 1953 advertisement included a pie crust recipe for Gold Medal flour. Although I did use Gold Medal flour, I went with a totally different tried and true pie crust recipe known as the Half, Half, and Half Pie Crust. I’ve included this easy and foolproof pie crust recipe here in this post.

The second and real reason I gave this pie its brilliant name is because this Gold Medal Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie is going to win me the gold medal this year in my Granny Hazel’s annual Christmas dessert contest! (Dear family: Bring. It. On.)

Here’s how you make Gold Medal Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie:

 

Half, Half, and Half Pie Crust is named so because of the ratio of flour to shortening to water:

You use 1 cup of flour; then half that amount of shortening (which is 1/2 cup); then half that amount of ice-cold water (or 1/4 cup). It’s easy to remember that way. Don’t forget to add a touch of salt!

In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, and vegetable shortening, such as Crisco. The shortening can be room temp or cold. Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the shortening into the flour until pea-sized crumbles are formed.

Add the ice-cold water and mix it together with your fingers. As the dough begins to stick to your fingers, add a little more flour and continue to mix/knead just until dough forms a soft round shape.

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Without overworking the dough, form it into a soft disc and roll out onto a floured surface with a rolling pin until you have a 12 inch circle.

Roll the dough around your rolling pin and then unroll it onto a 9 inch pie plate.

Roll under all of the excess dough and then flute the pie crust using three fingers.

Pierce the dough with a fork and freeze for 15 minute or longer. Go ahead and preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Blind bake the crust. To do this, remove it from the freezer after 15 minutes (or longer). Then line the pie with parchment paper and fill with uncooked rice, beans, or pie weights. Bake on lower rack for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, pierce all over again with fork, and brush bottom and sides with a beaten egg white. Bake without pie weights for 5 more minutes. At this point, the crust is partially baked and sealed with an egg white, which will hold up nicely to the filling.

Cool the crust on a wire rack.

Now place your pecans on a baking sheet and bake/toast at 375 F for 5 minutes. Flip the pecans once during toasting. Remove from oven and set aside for later.

It’s time to prepare that delicious dark chocolate pecan pie filling:

 

Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter in a sauce pan over low heat, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, add sugar, salt, eggs, and your favorite bourbon to a large bowl. My husband likes his classic Wild Turkey Bourbon.

When your chocolate and butter have melted, add it to the other ingredients and whisk together.

Sprinkle dark chocolate morsels over the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Then pour in the chocolate filling. Yum!

If you love dark chocolate like I do, you’ll probably want to check out my Birthday Crownie and Caramel Macchiato Brownies once you’ve had your fill of pie!

Arrange the lightly-toasted pecans on top and bake on a preheated sheet pan. Bake on the middle rack for 40-50 minutes at 375 F.

The filling will rise around the edges at first and then in the center. Remove from the oven when the pie is set in the center when you jiggle the pan.

Allow the pie to cool completely at room temperature on a wire rack. When cool, melt the reserved 1/3 cup of dark chocolate morsels in the microwave and spoon into a zip-top baggie. Snip a small hole in the corner of the baggie, and drizzle the chocolate over the pie.

My hubby and I both agree that this pie tastes its very best after it has been refrigerated! It also sets up nicely when chilled, so your slices will be nice and pretty!

Check out the 1 minute video:

 

Here’s the complete, printable recipe:

 

 

This recipe is linked up with other zesty bloggers at Weekend Potluck!