Bye bye American Pie

“The homemade pie has been under siege for a century, and surely its survival is endangered.” 
― Janet Clarkson, Pie: A Global History

It's true that more and more people are inclined to run down to the corner bakery and pick up their pies instead of baking them at home. Why not? They usually taste great and almost remind you of grandmas home-made version all those years ago. Baking a pie has become a mammoth task involving flour and grease and potentially a lot of unnecessary work for the busy bees of today. Pie making is slowly but surely evolving into a lost art. The reality is that it really isn't that gargantuan a task. For me- baking a pie is not something I do very often but when I do - it is more often than not, a gratifying and therapeutic experience and one that ultimately gets a standing ovation from my audience at home. This particular recipe is adapted from David Leibovitz and is definitely fool-proof. The buttery crust is edible all by itself, never mind the dark chocolate/ toasted pecan filling. At the end of the day there is a vast difference between a pie that comes in a cardboard box and one that pops out fragrant and hot from the oven.

Recipe for Chocolate Pecan Pie:
1 1/4 Cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
4 ounces unsalted butter cut into 1 inch pieces
4 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:
3 eggs
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup corn or golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp melted butter
2 tsps Bourbon or liquor of your choice
1 cup lightly toasted pecan chopped coarsely
1 cup bittersweet chocolate bits

1. To make the crust: Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Add in the cubed butter and mix until the butter pieces are the size of small peas. Add the ice water and combine until the dough comes together. Do not knead. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Flour a surface and roll dough out into a 12 inch circle. Transfer into a 9 inch pan and tuck the edges in and crimp with a fork.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

4. Combine the eggs, brown sugar, syrup, vanilla, salt, butter and bourbon. Stir in the pecan and chocolate and scrape into the pie shell.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool before slicing.