This pie has to be one of the most luscious that I have ever tasted. If left alone, I could eat the entire thing only stopping to take a breath for air! I received this recipe from a friend of my aunt who owned a catering business before she retired many years ago. I can only imagine that her catered affairs were remembered fondly for this dessert.
Now...just so you'll know how very dedicated I am to my readers, I've given a great deal of thought to this pie recipe and its many useful occasions (other than a boring old catered affair) and decided that it would be just perfect for your own affairs of the heart…
If you’re already in love, this pie will serve as one of those extra special little touches that will add a little more pizzazz to your relationship. You know...a little champagne and pie after a most romantic evening, sitting by the fire and gazing into each others eye's and well...you know...another piece of pie.
Now...just so you'll know how very dedicated I am to my readers, I've given a great deal of thought to this pie recipe and its many useful occasions (other than a boring old catered affair) and decided that it would be just perfect for your own affairs of the heart…
If you’re already in love, this pie will serve as one of those extra special little touches that will add a little more pizzazz to your relationship. You know...a little champagne and pie after a most romantic evening, sitting by the fire and gazing into each others eye's and well...you know...another piece of pie.
But if you’re only in the planning stage of love…what the heck is wrong with you? Planning stage? I think not. No such thing. What are you thinking? Or more importantly, who are you thinking? Get in that closet, find that one sexy outfit you own (only because you inherited it from your sibling who’s happily attached now because she (or he) asked The Smiling Chef what to do) and get in that kitchen and find that heart-shaped pan and stir up that sticky chocolate and light those scented candles and warm up that gooey caramel and…
Hey wait a minute! That’s not right. Something (or someone) is missing. Oh well, I’ve gotta run…I’m way too confused. I’ll leave it to you to straighten this whole thing out. But after you do, please come back and try this luscious concoction. You’ll be hooked.
CHOCOLATE ROMANTIC DREAM PIE (serves 2, preferably)
If you’d really like to set the stage with this pie, you’ll need to bake it in a fancy-schmancy 9” heart-shaped nonstick springform pan. That way, you can remove the sides and show off your stuff!
Your Ingredients:
4 cups pecans, toasted and divided
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 stick butter, melted (4 tablespoons)
1 (14 oz) bag caramels
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (divided in half for 1/3 cup each)
1 pkg (8 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
whipped topping
pecan halves
PREHEAT oven to 350˚F.
PLACE 4 cups of pecans evenly in a dry skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. When pecans begin to release their flavor, in about 3-4 minutes, remove from heat.
ADD 2 cups of the toasted pecans to the food processor and pulse until finely ground.
REMOVE ground pecans from processor and place in a medium bowl.
ADD granulated sugar and melted butter to the ground pecans and use a fork (or your clean hands) to make sure the mixture is well blended.
PRESS crumb mixture firmly onto the bottom and up the side of a 9” pie plate or 9” heart-shaped springform pan. Be careful to cover all naked spots so the filling won’t seep through later.
BAKE crust in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. I’d begin watching it after 10 minutes though, since oven temperatures vary.
REMOVE from oven and set aside to cool completely. (don’t worry if the crust has puffed up in places, just gently flatten them with the back of a spoon or your fingertips, being careful not to tear crust)
USING the top of a double boiler, melt caramels and 1/3-cup of the whipping cream until caramels are completely melted. Stir often and don’t heat mixture to boiling. (if you don’t have a double boiler, just place a glass or stainless bowl over a simmering pot of water)
POUR melted caramel mixture into cooled crust (use a heatproof rubber spatula to scrape every drop). Set aside.
WASH and dry upper part of double boiler (or bowl) because you’ll need it again.
CHOP the remaining 2 cups of pecans (rough chop) and sprinkle evenly over the caramel layer. Set aside.
PLACE baking chocolate, the remaining 1/3-cup of whipping cream, the powdered sugar and vanilla in your double boiler on simmering heat. Stir often and don’t heat to boiling. When chocolate is completely melted, pour over the pie and spread to evenly cover the top of the pie in a swirl pattern.
CHILL in refrigerator overnight.
PREHEAT oven to 350˚F.
PLACE 4 cups of pecans evenly in a dry skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. When pecans begin to release their flavor, in about 3-4 minutes, remove from heat.
ADD 2 cups of the toasted pecans to the food processor and pulse until finely ground.
REMOVE ground pecans from processor and place in a medium bowl.
ADD granulated sugar and melted butter to the ground pecans and use a fork (or your clean hands) to make sure the mixture is well blended.
PRESS crumb mixture firmly onto the bottom and up the side of a 9” pie plate or 9” heart-shaped springform pan. Be careful to cover all naked spots so the filling won’t seep through later.
BAKE crust in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. I’d begin watching it after 10 minutes though, since oven temperatures vary.
REMOVE from oven and set aside to cool completely. (don’t worry if the crust has puffed up in places, just gently flatten them with the back of a spoon or your fingertips, being careful not to tear crust)
USING the top of a double boiler, melt caramels and 1/3-cup of the whipping cream until caramels are completely melted. Stir often and don’t heat mixture to boiling. (if you don’t have a double boiler, just place a glass or stainless bowl over a simmering pot of water)
POUR melted caramel mixture into cooled crust (use a heatproof rubber spatula to scrape every drop). Set aside.
WASH and dry upper part of double boiler (or bowl) because you’ll need it again.
CHOP the remaining 2 cups of pecans (rough chop) and sprinkle evenly over the caramel layer. Set aside.
PLACE baking chocolate, the remaining 1/3-cup of whipping cream, the powdered sugar and vanilla in your double boiler on simmering heat. Stir often and don’t heat to boiling. When chocolate is completely melted, pour over the pie and spread to evenly cover the top of the pie in a swirl pattern.
CHILL in refrigerator overnight.
REMOVE pie from fridge about 20 minutes before serving. If you chose a springform baking pan, now would be the time to remove the sides.
PLACE a slice of pie on a decorative dessert plate and top with a dollop of whipped cream and a pecan half in the center.
Or…you can make chocolate curls…
PLACE a waxed paper-lined metal pan in the freezer to chill.
WARM a 4-ounce chunk of semisweet chocolate in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Don’t let it melt…you only want it soft enough to work with.
USE a vegetable peeler to make curls by pressing into the chocolate while peeling them off the smoothest widest edge of the chocolate. The harder you press, the thicker the curls. (if you mess some up at first, just eat them)
LET the curls fall onto the chilled waxed paper-lined pan and refrigerate (not freeze) until ready to garnish your delicious creation.
STORE any leftover pie (it’s highly doubtful though) in refrigerator.
PLACE a waxed paper-lined metal pan in the freezer to chill.
WARM a 4-ounce chunk of semisweet chocolate in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Don’t let it melt…you only want it soft enough to work with.
USE a vegetable peeler to make curls by pressing into the chocolate while peeling them off the smoothest widest edge of the chocolate. The harder you press, the thicker the curls. (if you mess some up at first, just eat them)
LET the curls fall onto the chilled waxed paper-lined pan and refrigerate (not freeze) until ready to garnish your delicious creation.
STORE any leftover pie (it’s highly doubtful though) in refrigerator.
Always Enjoy!
2 comments:
Mmmm, mouth watering recipe, only if u could also provide a photograph .... arrr i mean pic for ur recipe...!!!
Thank you for your kind words! I would love to post pics in the near future.
In the meantime though, allow the written recipes to form a picture in your mind's eye and run to the kitchen and get busy!
Always Enjoy!
Your Smiling Chef
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