i'd rather be baking

Thanksgiving is now behind us, and truth be told, you probably could have used this recipe about a week ago. I know; I apologize.

The good news is that Christmas is a scant three and a half weeks away. Maybe that isn’t good news. I suppose it depends upon your perspective.

Good news or not, chances are that you’ll soon be looking for something in the way of a dessert that will please pretty much anyone: a warm mouthful of rich, decadent goodness that you wouldn’t allow yourself to eat any time outside of the holidays.

You’re in luck.

Chocolate Pecan Pie
Adapted from Evil Chef Mom

People, I beg of you, gather and prepare all of your ingredients before starting this one. It’s not difficult at all, but once you begin there isn’t a whole lot of extra time to toast nuts or break up Heath bars. Trust me on this one. And make this pie right now.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter*
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup agave nectar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons strong coffee
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup very finely chopped toasted pecans
1 cup toasted pecan halves
1 cup toasted walnut halves
1 pie crust
1/2 cup crushed chocolate toffee candy pieces, such as Heath or Skor (very quickly accomplished in a food processor)
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Position a rack in the center of the oven, set a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter is brown, 3-5 minutes. Immediately whisk in the brown sugar, corn syrup, agave nectar, and maple syrup until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly. One at a time, whisk in the eggs, followed by the coffee, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the chopped pecans.

Sprinkle the pecan and walnut halves in the pie crust, followed by the toffee pieces and chocolate chips. Pour the syrup mixture over all.

Put the pie on the heated baking sheet and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until the center is set, 45 to 55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The pie will still jiggle slightly when nudged, and filling will bubble near the edges.

Transfer to a rack and cool completely before serving. The pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

*If you’d rather use margarine, you can certainly do so, but keep in mind that it will not brown when cooked, and the flavor won’t be quite as rich. That being said, I used margarine because that’s what I had in the house and my pie was freaking awesome. Cook the margarine for the same amount of time (3-5 minutes), but don’t expect browning.