Thursday, November 17, 2011

Pie and A Friendly Armadillo

I don't have a lot of time these days to get on the computer but I often have my iPhone by my side to play games, text, send family and friends pictures of Hayden and to check my email. For the past few years I've subscribed to the daily holiday emails from Better Homes and Gardens. This year they started posting slideshows to accompany their recipes and this particular pie caught my eye. Hey that rhymes!

The only thing is, since my time is limited in the kitchen, recipes have to be simple and quick. This pie was both. And Mr. H even got in the kitchen with me and helped! He mixed up the filling while I made the pie crust. This pie was in the oven within minutes. A short time later, it was smelling quite delicious, nutty with a hint of coffee liquor. Yes, there's Kahlua in this pie and it was a nice change from the ordinary pecan pie. I've added Bourbon to my pecan pies before but I never thought of adding Kahlua before. I quite liked the combination of pecans, chocolate, and coffee notes. Mr. H liked it because it was not as gooey as most pecan pies, which meant that it cut nicely and was sturdier. If you're not a fan of sticky and gooey, than you might like this pie.

On to the armadillo part of this post. haha! That's an odd combination- pie and armadillos. You see, we have a pet armadillo. Well not really. It's not a pet, but it is taking up residence under our shed and we welcome it because it's eating grub worms in the yard and Autumn likes to chase it around the yard. She's quite entertained by him. This past week, Maranda and her daughter (Little Butt) came over. LB wanted to see the armadillo and hoped he was purple because that's her favorite color. Unfortunately, the armadillo didn't make an appearance while they visited, but I promised her I'd share pictures on here for her. I hope you like our little friend!

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie with Kahlua slightly adapted from BHG

Printer Friendly Version

For the Crust:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 4 - 5 tablespoons ice cold water

For the Filling:

  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup light-color corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup coffee liqueur (Kahlua)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For the Crust: In a medium bowl, stir together all-purpose flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of flour mixture; toss gently with a fork. Push to side of bowl. Repeat with additional cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time (4 to 5 tablespoons total), until all is moistened. Shape into a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from center to edge into a 12-inch circle.

Wrap pastry circle around rolling pin; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry.

Sprinkle with the 3/4 cup chocolate chips.

For the Filling: In a medium bowl, combine eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, coffee liqueur, flour, and vanilla. Stir in the 1 cup chopped pecans. Slowly pour filling over chocolate pieces in bottom of crust.

Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil.

Bake about 10-30 (my pie took a total of 55 minutes to bake through- I just checked it every 10 minutes) minutes more or until edge is puffed and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Cover and chill within 2 hours of baking until ready to serve. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Makes 8 servings.

16 comments:

Debbie said...

OMG Monica, that armadillo is just toooo cute! I wish I had one in my backyard. We don't have them in this area. Love your pie and the fact that you added the liquor to it!!

Lynn Thompson said...

Hey Monica, I have the same dish pattern as the one you have the pie sitting on! Making the pie for Thanksgiving but will try it out on the teachers I work with first :)

Unknown said...

yah for baby...can not pay attention to the pie with that precious baby!

Unknown said...

This looks amazing, so perfect for thanksgiving! The pictures are great too =]

Sara said...

Ooooh, this pie looks fantastic! I love including some chocolate in a pecan pie, it's so good! :)

Thip said...

Wow, so cool you have armadillo in your backyard!
The pie looks so yummy, I need my kitchen back soon--really miss baking and cooking.
p.s. thanks for stopping by. :)

Foodiewife said...

Armadillos are so cool! They're like walking tanks. We don't have those critters in California, but I saw them when I was in Missouri. The pie looks amazing. I'm glad you do find time to keep up your blog. You need to download Instagram. You'll have so much photo with your photos. Love that applicationn.

LV said...

An Armadillo? WOW!!!!!! That pie looks so decadent and delicious!

Sarita said...

Beautiful pics as always!

Julie @ Willow Bird Baking said...

So jealous that you and Maranda get to hang out! And jealous that you got to eat this pie. And jealous that you have such a cute little one (I mean H, but that armadillo is pretty cute, too. LOL)

Thanks for this recipe, love! :)

Whitney Cypert said...

Wow! That pie looks absolutely scrumptious! Thanks for sharing the recipe! : )

The armadillo is precious and I am glad you gave him a home...in your yard!

Whitney
http://keepingupwiththecyperts.blogspot.com/

Mini Baker said...

armadillos freak me out! almost as much as rats and opposums! eeek!
the pie on the other hand doesn't scare me one bit. It look insanely delicious!

Janet said...

I've been feeding a family of raccoons that live on our property for over 8 years now and love them so I completely get your affection for your armadillo! So cute!

And that baby boy on your new header photo - pure joy!

Unknown said...

Hooray for armadillo pictures!!! Little Butt is incredibly excited about the pictures. Thanks for posting them. I may have to try this pie. I'm not really a pecan pie fan but the kahlua has me intrigued!

oneordinaryday said...

As if the idea of a chocolate chip-pecan pie wasn't good enough, it has to go and add Kahlua. Now it's irresistible. Looks perfect.

(and I'm a little jealous that you have an armadillo in your yard!)

Lisa said...

Goodness, I love Kahlua. This is a wonderful recipe (and gorgeous pictures, sweet baby included). Thank you for sharing.

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