Chocolate Pecan Pie with Chocolate-Jack Daniels Ice Cream

Emiline from Sugar Plum hosted a blog event I loved from the moment I heard about it. The “St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl” had one requirement and one requirement only–your food had to have alcohol in it. Perfect!

I knew I wanted to use whiskey; it’s one of my favorites. So I got down to work finding the perfect, delicious, blog-event-worthy recipe. This delivered like I hoped it would. It takes some planning ahead and it has a lot of steps, but it is sooooo worth it!

Chocolate Pecan Pie with Semisweet Chocolate and Jack Ice Cream
adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:
1 recipe chocolate pie crust, recipe follows12 TBSP dark brown sugar3 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperaturePinch salt3 large eggs, lightly beaten1 c. dark corn syrup1 tsp vanilla extract1/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips2 cups pecan halvesSemisweet Chocolate and Jack Ice Cream, recipe followsJack Chocolate Ganache, recipe followsDirections:1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick and gently fit the dough into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, easing the pastry gently into the bottom and sides. Trim the edges of the dough so that they overhang slightly over the edge of the tart pan, then fold this excess dough over the sides so that the outer edges are almost twice as thick as the bottom of the crust. Press so that the edges are flush with the top of the pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and position a rack in the center of the oven.

3. Line the tart shell with lightly buttered parchment paper and pie weights, beans, or rice and bake until set and the edges just begin to firm up, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

5. To prepare the tart filling, combine the brown sugar, butter and salt in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, cream together.  Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

6. Add the dark corn syrup, and vanilla extract, and whisk well to blend.  Stir in chocolate chips.

7. Place the pecan halves evenly over the bottom of the prepared tart shell and pour the filling over the pecans. Bake until the tart is set, about 50 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve the pie at room temperature, each slice garnished with a small scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of Jack Chocolate Ganache.

Chocolate Pie Crust: 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour 6 TBSP confectioners’ sugar 2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder Pinch salt 8 TBSP (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten 2 TBSP cold water

Directions:1. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt into a large bowl.

2. With your fingers, incorporate the butter pieces into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Mix in the egg yolk and water to make a soft dough.

3. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 1 hour before using.

Yield: 1 (9 or 10-inch) tart crust

Semisweet Chocolate and Jack Ice Cream:
1 c. heavy cream1 c. whole milk1/2 vanilla bean, cut and scraped or 1 tsp. pure vanilla4 egg yolks1/2 c. sugar4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, about 1/2 c.1/4 c. whiskey (recommended: Jack Daniel’s)

Directions:
1. Combine the heavy cream, milk and vanilla bean and scraped seeds in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring just to a simmer.

2. While the cream and milk are heating, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until pale yellow and thick.

3. When the cream mixture reaches a simmer, ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot mixture to the egg yolk mixture and whisk to combine. Add another 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture to the egg yolk mixture and whisk again to combine. Slowly whisk the egg yolk mixture into the hot cream mixture in the saucepan and reduce the heat to medium-low.

4. Cook the custard, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.  Remove from the heat and immediately strain through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl containing the chocolate chips. Allow to sit undisturbed for 1 minute before whisking to incorporate.

5. Add the whiskey to the custard, stir to blend, then set aside to cool completely.

6.  Transfer to a refrigerator and chill thoroughly.  Once the custard is chilled, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for churning in an electric ice cream maker.

9. Once set, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm before serving, 4 to 8 hours.

Jack Chocolate Ganache:
1 c. heavy cream1 c. chopped bittersweet chocolate1 TBSP whiskey (recommended: Jack Daniel’s)

Directions:
1. Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan.  Add chocolate and whisk to combine.  Stir in whiskey and keep warm.