Ingredients

The following ingredients have 12 Servings
  • 1 3/4 cups (7.75 ounces) White Lily® All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 4 tablespoons cold unflavored vegetable shortening, cut into cubes
  • 4-6 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water
  • 1/2 cup pecan halves
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecan pieces
  • 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instruction

  • To prepare crust, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add butter and shortening and mix with a pastry blender until butter is pretty evenly broken up into pea sized chunks. You can also use your hands to flatten out and break up and larger pieces of butter, as long as your hands are not too warm and will melt the butter.Drizzle 1 tablespoon of ice water on one fourth of the dough mixture; blend with a fork until that section is evenly moistened. Sprinkle another tablespoon on the next section, and so forth. Mixing the dough a section at at time will help the dough get evenly moistened without getting overmixed. Only use as much water as you need to bring the dough together in a shaggy dough. You may need more or less depending on your specific conditions, but I found about 5 tablespoons was just the right amount.Gather the dough together in a ball, pressing out any large cracks. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or more to allow the flour to fully absorb the water molecules.Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth. For a 9-inch pie pan, you want a round approximately 12 inches in diameter. Drape the dough over your rolling pin and gently transfer it to your pie tin, easing it into the bottom without stretching.Trim edges. If you will be crimping your dough, trim the edges about 1/2-inch out and then fold the edge under, then crimp as desired. For a cut out effect, trim the dough to the edge of the pie pan. Reroll the scraps and cut out shapes using a small cookie cutter. Brush the edge of the crust with an egg wash and then adhere the cut out shapes to it. When finished, brush the edges of the crust that will be exposed with an egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Refrigerate pie crust for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the filling.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread pecans (both chopped and halves) in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant (watch them carefully as they will burn easily!) Set aside to cool.Gently melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or in the microwave, heating in 30 second intervals at 50% power, stirring after each interval. When chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from heat and whisk in sugars and salt until mixture forms a smooth paste. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Whisk in vanilla.Spread chopped pecans in a layer in the bottom of chilled pie crust. Pour filling over top. Arrange pecan halves on top of filling in a decorative pattern as desired.Place pie on a baking sheet (just in case) and bake at 325 degrees F for 55 to 65 minutes or until crust is golden and pie is puffed and slightly cracked around the edges, and the center is still just barely jiggly (which will result in a slightly gooey center). If you prefer a firmer pie (more like a fudgy brownie) you can bake the pie slightly longer.Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely to room temperature, about 2 hours, before slicing and serving. After 2 hours if you are not serving it immediately, lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Let come to room temperature prior to serving.