Chocolate Pear and Pecan Pie Recipe
Ingredients
| Pears | 3 Small, peeled | |
| Superfine sugar | 165 Gram | |
| 150 ml/1/4 pint/2/3 cup water | ||
| Pared rind of 1 lemon | ||
| Semi-sweet chocolate | 50 Gram, broken | |
| 50 g/2 oz/1/4 cup butter, diced | ||
| Light corn syrup | 225 Gram | |
| Eggs | 3 , beaten | |
| Vanilla essence | 5 Milliliter | |
| 150 g/5 oz/1 1/4 cups pecan nuts, chopped | ||
| All purpose flour | 175 Gram (For the pastry) | |
| 115 g/4 oz/1/2 cup butter, diced | ||
| Superfine sugar | 25 Gram (For the pastry) | |
| Egg yolk | 1 (For the pastry) | |
| 10-15 ml/2-3 tsp chilled water | ||
Directions
1. To make the pastry, sift the flour into a mixing bowl and rub or cut in the butter. Stir in the sugar. Mix the egg yolk with 10ml/2 tsp of the water, add to the dry ingredients and mix to a dough, adding more water if necessary. Knead for a few seconds until smooth. Wrap the dough in clear film (plastic wrap) and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°F/400°C/ Gas 6. Roll out the pastry and line a deep 23cm/9in fluted flan tin (quiche pan). Chill the case for 20 minutes, then line it with foil and baking beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Lift out the foil and beans and bake for 5 minutes more. Set aside to cool.
3. Cut the pears in half and remove the cores with a small spoon. Place 50g/ 2oz/1/4 cup of the sugar in a pan with the water. Add the lemon rind and bring to the boil. Add the pears. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pears from the pan and set aside to cool. Discard the liquid.
4. Place the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water. Beat in the butter, then set aside. In a separate pan, heat the remaining sugar and syrup together until most of the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Whisk the eggs into the chocolate mixture until combined, then whisk in the syrup mixture. Stir in the vanilla essence and pecan nuts.
6. Place the pear halves flat side down on a board. Using a fine sharp knife, make lengthways cuts all along each pear, taking care not to cut all the way through. Using a palette knife (metal spatula), lift the pears into the pastry case and arrange. Pour the pecan mixture over the top, so that the pears are still visible through the mixture.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is set, then leave to cool on a wire rack before removing the pie from the tin and serving, in slices.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°F/400°C/ Gas 6. Roll out the pastry and line a deep 23cm/9in fluted flan tin (quiche pan). Chill the case for 20 minutes, then line it with foil and baking beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Lift out the foil and beans and bake for 5 minutes more. Set aside to cool.
3. Cut the pears in half and remove the cores with a small spoon. Place 50g/ 2oz/1/4 cup of the sugar in a pan with the water. Add the lemon rind and bring to the boil. Add the pears. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pears from the pan and set aside to cool. Discard the liquid.
4. Place the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water. Beat in the butter, then set aside. In a separate pan, heat the remaining sugar and syrup together until most of the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Whisk the eggs into the chocolate mixture until combined, then whisk in the syrup mixture. Stir in the vanilla essence and pecan nuts.
6. Place the pear halves flat side down on a board. Using a fine sharp knife, make lengthways cuts all along each pear, taking care not to cut all the way through. Using a palette knife (metal spatula), lift the pears into the pastry case and arrange. Pour the pecan mixture over the top, so that the pears are still visible through the mixture.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is set, then leave to cool on a wire rack before removing the pie from the tin and serving, in slices.
Chef
