Historic Clifton Mills restaurant in Clifton, Ohio Chocolate Pecan Pie
1 recipe Pastry for Single-Crust Pie (see recipe below)
1/4 cup butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs
1 cup dark-colored corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup pecan halves
Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Trim and crimp the edges of the pastry as you like; set aside. (If you like, make pastry cutouts from scraps of pastry. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until they're golden brown.)
In a small, heavy saucepan, combine butter and chocolate. Cook over low heat until melted; stirring to mix. Remove from heat and cool.
In a bowl, beat eggs slightly. Stir in corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, and chocolate mixture. Stir in pecans. Place pastry-lined pie plate on oven rack. Carefully pour filling into pastry shell.
To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil from the edge. Bake the pie for 20 to 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool the pie at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours on a wire rack. Refrigerate within 2 hours. To serve, decorate top of pie with baked pastry cutouts, if you like. Makes 10 servings.
Pastry for Single-Crust Pie
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
4 - 5 tablespoons cold water
In a mixing bowl, stir together all-purpose flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cold water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tablespoon cold water at a time, until all the dough is moistened (4 to 5 tablespoons cold water total). Form dough into a ball.