Pie Number 24 - Chocolate Brownie Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie Number 24 - Chocolate Brownie Pie    

    This final pie in the Year of Pie is in the 1967 Betty Crocker's Pie Parade. The recipe says that it is a "rich, chocolatey version of pecan pie", but it didn't occur to me that it was actually going to turn out like it did with two separate layers; a pecan pie type layer on the bottom and brownie layer on top. This pie was easy. I recommend melting the butter and chocolate first, so it can cool a bit before mixing it with the other ingredients. The original recipe says to melt the chocolate and butter together over hot water; you can do this with either a double boiler or by adding the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl, fitted snugly onto a pan with hot water in it. I don't think it's really necessary, because as long as you heat on low, your butter and chocolate won't burn. Remove from heat and cool while you make the crust. 

I made this in a 9-inch pie pan. The pie "puffs" up while baking and you don't want the liquid filling to spill out when transferring to the oven. I thought the 9-inch pie pan was perfect. Finally, the recipe calls for pecan halves. I used chopped pecans, If you have chopped walnuts, that would work well also. 

    I made this pie for my New Year's Eve dessert. I served it with a nice dollop of whipped cream and a shaving of dark chocolate for decoration. This pie was really good. If you like brownies and if you like pecan pie, you really need to try this pie, because it was a delicious combination of the two. 

Ingredients:

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons butter (I used unsalted)

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

3/4 cup chopped pecans (a good substitute would be walnuts)

9-inch pie shell (make your own or use store bought pastry)

dark chocolate bar (optional for decoration)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a pan on low, melt butter and chocolate. Prepare pie crust and line pie pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, sugar and corn syrup, until just mixed (I used a hand mixer). Add the cooled chocolate mixture (If your chocolate mixture is too warm, it could cook the egg and you don't want that) and blend on low until well incorporated. Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts. Pour filling into prepared pie pan. Bake until set. Remove from oven and cool. Serve while still slightly warm or cold, with ice cream or whipped cream. Shave chocolate over top for decoration.

Chocolate Brownie Pie