Chocolate Silk Pie with Pecans

Chocolate Silk Pie with Pecans

by Susan Whempner

adapted from a recipe I found on cooks.com

1 unbaked pie crust (for a single crust pie)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 cup sugar

pinch salt

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 to 1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pre-bake crust for about 8 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl melt chocolate chips and butter at 50% power for 2 minutes or until butter is melted.  Whisk until smooth, then whisk in salt, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and evaporated milk.  Whisk in eggs last (if butter is hot and you add the eggs too soon they'll start to cook).  Pour chocolate mixture into pre-baked crust and sprinkle chopped pecans all over the top.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until filling has puffed but center is still wiggly (it will set when it's cooled).  Cool completely and then refrigerate until ready to serve (best when served very cold).  Enjoy this sinfully rich, chocolate-y goodness with homemade whipped cream (my husband says if there's no whipped cream there's no point in having the pie).

Tip:  I always use a glass pie plate, but I used to have trouble getting the bottom of the crust browned.  I read a great tip for solving this problem.  If you have a pizza baking stone, put it in the oven while it's preheating.  When you first put your pie in the oven place it on the stone for about 15-20 minutes, then remove the stone and finish baking pie.  It works like a charm!