German Chocolate Pecan Pie
This is my mash-up of two classic desserts—pecan pie and german chocolate cake. The dark chocolate keeps the classic brown sugar, coconut-pecan filling from being cloyingly sweet.
german chocolate pecan pie
gluten-free ≈ dairy-free
Makes one 9-inch pie
Prep Time 20 minutes (plus chilling)
bake Time 55 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
1¼ cups My Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (4 ounces) plus 5 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening, ½ cup chilled and cut into small pieces
¼ cup ice water
2 large eggs
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup tapioca syrup
2½ cups (about 10 ounces) pecan halves, coarsely chopped
¾ cup sweetened flake coconut
¾ cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
1. In a food processor, pulse the flour with ½ teaspoon salt. Add the chilled shortening pieces and pulse until coarse crumbs form, about 5 seconds. Drizzle in the ice water and pulse just until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap; flatten to form a disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch round; transfer to a pie pan. Cut the excess dough to leave a ½-inch overhang. Using your fingers, roll the dough edge under and crimp. Prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork; refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
3. Line the shell with foil and pie weights or dried beans; bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, reduce the heat to 375ºF and bake for another 12 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. In a heavy, medium saucepan, whisk together the remaining 5 tablespoons shortening and ½ teaspoon salt with the brown sugar and tapioca syrup over medium heat until melted and smooth. Whisk the sugar mixture into the beaten eggs. Stir in the nuts and coconut.
5. Spread the chocolate chips in the pie shell. Pour in the filling and bake until set, about 25 minutes. Let the pie cool completely before slicing.
QUICK RECIPE SWAPS
My Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour → your favorite store-bought brand
non-hydrogenated shortening → unsalted butter
sweetened flake coconut → unsweetened flake coconut
