Chocolate Kahlua Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie is a staple at Thanksgiving, but I like to experiment with variations on traditional recipes. Last year I decided to make this Chocolate Kahlua Pecan Pie as my experiment, and it turned out great! The chocolate and Kahlua flavors blend so well, that I found the pie to be more enhanced by the additions than anything else. I find that the addition of the Kahlua also helped add depth to the flavor of the pie, without adding additional sugar, which is always a bonus. I served the pie with coffee whipped cream, which was very good, but not absolutely necessary. Do keep in mind that pecan pies need to be chilled for several hours before serving, so if you're planning for a holiday meal, be sure to make this pie in advance.

If you're looking for something traditional, but new at the same time, try this one out!

RECIPE: Chocolate Kahlua Pecan Pie
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Baking 2008

INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
Pastry for single pie crust.
Or, make from scratch:
1-1/4 all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/3 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1/4 cup ice water

Filling:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup light-color corn syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup coffee liqueur, like Kahlua
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Coffee Whipped Cream Topping (optional):
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375F.

Crust:
Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Add butter and cut into the flour until texture is coarse and crumbly (use hands or two forks). Add shortening until dough is crumbly again. Add ice water and mix just until water is incorporated. The dough will be a little sticky, so dust hands and work surface with flour. Remove dough from bowl and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and form dough into a flatter disk. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chill for a few days in the fridge, or freeze for several months.

On a lightly floured surface, roll pie dough from the center to the edge into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to your pie plate (either roll pastry around rolling pin, or gently fold the circle into quarters to lift into dish then gently unfold back into a circle). Do not stretch the crust to fit! Gently lift and place back down. Trim the pastry to 1 inch beyond the edge of the plate. Fold under extra pastry and crimp edge as you desire. Sprinkle the bottom of the dish with 3/4 cup of chocolate pieces.

Filling:
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, coffee liqueur, flour, and vanilla. Stir in the chopped pecans. Slowly pour filling over chocolate pieces in pastry, spreading evenly.

Cover edge of the pie with foil to prevent over-browning. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake about 10 minutes more or until filling is puffed and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

Whipped Cream:
In a small bowl, combine whipping cream and coffee liqueur. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. This can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.