Doug's Chocolate Pecan Pie

Only one slice left!

My Mom, Estelle Kreinik, was not only a great stitcher and knitter, but she taught me that making a pie was easy.

Today, I make this pie, a family favorite, for all family celebrations and parties. It is a simple, fast, and fail-proof Pecan Pie that I have used as a base to experiment in creating excellent alternatives to traditional Pecan Pie. Using the same ratios, I have made Walnut Pie (which my Dad loved) and Oatmeal Pie (which my wife and I first tasted in a little restaurant in Cheraw, South Carolina). One of the regular enhancements to this recipe was the addition of cocoa, which I decided to use as an alternative to dark chocolate chips. Also, let it be noted that I am lactose intolerant, as was my Mom. This pie calls for no butter or milk.

1. Preheat oven to 450 F (232C)
2. Mix the following ingredients:
   3 eggs-slightly beaten
   1 cup (236 ml) Blue Label Karo Syrup (dark corn syrup)
   1/8 tsp (.625 gm) salt
   1 cup (240 gm) brown sugar or regular sugar
   2 tablespoons (30 gm) dark cocoa
   2/3 cup (159 gm)  ground pecans
   1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla flavoring
3. Roll out one Pillsbury Pie Crust (pre-made pie crust) and place into a 10-inch (25 cm) pie pan. (I find using a pottery pie dish gives a more interesting presentation. If baked in a glass pie dish, temperature should be 25 degrees (3.8 C) less.)
4. Pour mixture into uncooked pie crust
5. Before baking, finish the pie surface by spreading 1/3 cup (80 gm) whole pecans. (I often create a design with the nuts)
6. Bake at  450 F (232C) for 10 minutes
7. After 10 minutes, turn down oven to 350 F (177C) and bake for 1/2 hour.
8. Slip a knife blade into the pie; if it comes out without pie residue clinging to the blade, the pie is ready

Excellent alternatives:

Instead of pecans you can use any type of nuts, such as walnuts or for those allergic to nuts use 2/3 cup (159 gm) of uncooked oatmeal.

Bon Appetite!