Chocolate Pecan Pie

 

Happy almost Thanksgiving! No feast is complete without pumpkin and pecan pies but while i'm a huge fan of pumpkin in most forms, I am not all that jazzed by the thought of candied pecans. Skipping this traditional staple however, is not an option as my boyfriend's favorite cake is pecan pie (his exact words), so i've been searching for a recipe that modifies it enough to have some fun with it while keeping it close enough to the classic that no one gets upset (boyfriend).

When I found this recipe from Our Best Bites, I knew i'd hit gold. A pecan pie that lets me add/melt down candy? We have a winner!

The recipe itself is super easy. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, roll out your crust (see how to do this here), and turn your attention to the filling.

This recipe is awesome because it uses candy, specifically Rolos, to get a perfect chocolate caramel flavor - no double boilers and chocolate chips or careful melting down of caramel squares required. Simply place the Rolos in a large pot on medium-low heat, with the butter and milk, stirring until melted and combined. *The candy melts extremely quickly, so it's better to take the few minutes necessary to stand there and stir it 'till mixed as averse to leaving and coming back to find it burnt and separated. Once done, remove from heat and set aside, stirring occasionally to keep from setting.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt, using an egg beater to mix until frothy and bubbly. Slowly add the chocolate-caramel mixture in and lastly, stir in the pecans by hand. The batter will be very thin, so don't worry about it.

Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pie tin and place in the oven for 40-50 minutes. The pie is done when the filling jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven, let cool, and serve with ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Ingredients:

- 1 9″ pie crust (see recipe here)
- 40 Rolo candies, unwrapped (or 60 mini ones because they're already unwrapped!)
- 1/4 c butter
- 1/4 c milk
- 1/2 c dark brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/3 c pecan halves