Black Bottom Pecan Pie Food

BLACK-BOTTOM PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until crust is set and begins to turn golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Make the filling: Sift together sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt into a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until almost boiling. Reduce heat to medium; add chocolate. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate has melted and mixture is thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla until smooth. Spread chocolate mixture over crust. Refrigerate until cold and firm, about 1 hour.
• Make the topping: Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl. Let stand until soft, about 3 minutes. Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and boiling, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin mixture, and let cool completely. Stir in vanilla and rum. Briefly place pan in an ice-water bath to thicken slightly, if needed. Do not let it set completely. Set aside.
• Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low; continue beating while you make syrup.
• Bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Brush down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Cook, without stirring, until syrup registers 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Raise mixer speed to high, and beat egg whites just until stiff peaks begin to form. Immediately pour syrup into egg whites in a slow, steady stream near side of bowl, avoiding whisk. Beat until glossy and cooled, about 7 minutes.
• Fold meringue mixture into reserved gelatin mixture in 3 batches until just combined. Mound the mixture into the chocolate-filled crust. Refrigerate pie for 2 1/2 hours or overnight before serving.

BLACK-BOTTOM HAZELNUT PIE

Steps:

• For the Crust
• Pulse granulated sugar, salt, and 1 1/4 cups flour in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until coarse, pea-size crumbs form, about 10 seconds. With the motor running, add 2 Tbsp. ice water and process until dough just holds together, about 30 seconds. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers: If it's very crumbly, pulse in more ice water 1 Tbsp. at a time (2 Tbsp. maximum). Do not overprocess.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and push together into a ball. Knead a few times to combine, then flatten into a disk with smooth edges (no cracks). Cover tightly and chill at least 1 hour.
• Roll out dough to a 13" round on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and transfer to a standard 9"-diameter pie dish. Lightly press dough into pan, leaving a 1" overhang; trim excess. Fold overhang under and crimp as desired. Chill until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Do Ahead: Dough can be made and shaped into disk 3 days ahead. Keep chilled, or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw before rolling.
• For the Filling and Assembly
• Place racks in bottom third and center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Place a rimmed baking sheet on bottom rack to preheat.
• Spread hazelnuts on another rimmed baking sheet and bake on center rack until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup whole hazelnuts to decorate pie; finely chop remaining hazelnuts.
• Melt chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let water touch bowl); stir constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth. (You can also do this in a microwave.) Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Spread chocolate in bottom of pie shell with the back of a spoon and chill until set, about 15 minutes.
• Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat or in a microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour butter into a large bowl. Whisk in brown sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, 1 cup corn syrup, and 3/4 tsp. salt until well incorporated. Whisk in eggs, then fold in chopped hazelnuts.
• Pour filling into pie crust (do not overfill). Toss whole hazelnuts with remaining 2 Tbsp. corn syrup and 1/4 tsp. salt in a small bowl and arrange on top of pie. Place pie dish on preheated baking sheet on bottom rack and bake 20 minutes. Rotate baking sheet, move to center rack, and continue to bake, covering edges with foil or a pie shield if crust starts to brown too much, until crust is golden brown and filling is almost set with a slight jiggle in center of pie, 20-25 minutes more. Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool before slicing, about 3 hours.
• Do Ahead: Filling (before decorating) can be made 1 day ahead. Bring to room temperature before baking. Pie can be made 2 days ahead. Cover loosely with foil and store at room temperature.

BLACK BOTTOM PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350.
• Mix sugar, flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Add milk and butter, mixing well.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir in vanilla and pecan halves and set aside.
• In a medium-size bowl, mix cocoa and chocolate chips. Carefully spread this mixture in the bottom of the pie crusts.
• Gently pour in the pie filling and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the pies no longer jiggle in the middle.

BLACK-BOTTOM PECAN CHEESECAKE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Unrool piecrust; fit into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions. Fold edges under and crimp.
• Microwave chocolate chip and whipping cream in a small glass bowl at Medium power 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until chips begin to melt. Whisk until smooth; set aside.
• Beat cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture into piecrust, spreading evenly. Pour cream cheese mixture over the chocolate layer.
• Whisk together corn syrup, melted butter, remaining 3 eggs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir in pecans and pour over cream cheese layer.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until set, shielding pie after about 45 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool completely on a wire rack. Drizzle each slice with chocolate syrup if desired.

BLACK BOTTOM PECAN PIE

Steps:

• For fudge filling:
• In a small bowl, combine all fudge filling ingredients in the order given. Blend with an electric mixer at medium speed.Pour into unbaked pie shell.
• For pecan topping:
• In another small bowl, combine all ingredients except pecans. Blend with mixer at medium speed until well blended. Stir in pecans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for the first 20 minutes. Spoon pecan topping over partially baked pie. Return to oven and bake an additional 30-35 minutes until crust is brown. Once cooled can be served as is or with a thick layer of whipped topping swirled over the top. This is a very rich pie.

BLACK BOTTOM BUTTERSCOTCH CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Make the shell:
• In a food processor grind coarse the pecans with the sugar and transfer the mixture to a bowl. In the food processor blend together the flour, the butter, and the salt until the mixture resembles meal and add the flour mixture to the pecan mixture. Add the ice water, toss the mixture until the water is incorporated, and press it onto the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch (1-quart) pie plate, crimping the edge decoratively. Chill the shell for 1 hour, prick it all over with a fork, and line it with foil. Fill the foil with the rice, bake the shell in the lower third of a preheated 425°F. oven for 10 minutes, and remove the foil and rice carefully. Reduce the heat to 375°F., bake the shell for 12 to 15 minutes more, or until it is golden brown, and let it cool on a rack.
• In a small metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt the chocolate with the cream, stirring until the mixture is smooth, spread the mixture in the bottom and halfway up the side of the shell, and let it cool. Chill the shell.
• Make the filling while the shell is chilling:
• In a large metal bowl combine the bourbon and the water, sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid, and let it soften. In a saucepan heat the brown sugar, the milk, and the salt over moderate heat, stirring, until the mixture is hot and the sugar is dissolved and whisk in the butter. (The mixture will appear slightly curdled.) In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks, add the hot milk mixture in a stream, whisking, and pour the mixture into the pan. Cook the custard over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until it is thickened and registers 160°F. on a candy thermometer and add it to the gelatin mixture. Stir in the vanilla and the nutmeg and stir the mixture until it is cold and the consistency of raw egg whites, and remove the bowl from the ice water. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks, fold it into the custard mixture gently but thoroughly, and pour the filling into the chilled shell. Chill the pie for 6 hours or overnight.
• Decorate the pie:
• In a very small skillet or saucepan cook the sugar over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt, cook, stirring with a fork, until it is melted completely and turns a golden caramel, and reduce the heat to low. Working quickly, add the pecans, turning them to coat them thoroughly with the caramel, and with the fork transfer them, 1 at a time, to a piece of foil to cool. In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks, drop it by heaping tablespoons around the edge of the pie, and arrange a caramelized pecan in the center of each dollop.

BLACK BOTTOM PECAN PIE WITH CHOCLATE RUM MOUSSE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly beat together eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, 3 Tbs. rum, vanilla and salt. Do not over beat. Stir in pecan halves and half of the chocolate morsels (1/2 cup).
• Pour into unbaked pie shell. Cover edges w/foil. Bake 25min. Remove foil.
• Bake 20-25 minutes more (till knife comes out clean). Cool, then chill.
• For chocolate rum mousse melt remaining 1/2 cup chocolate morsels over hot (not boiling) water stir until smooth.
• Whip 1 cup heavy cream and 1 Tbs. rum until soft peaks form.
• Gently fold in melted morsels. I add a spoonful at a time of the whipped cream into the chocolate (since the chocolate is never the right consistency for me) then fold it all together.

BLACK BOTTOM PIE II

Steps:

• Soften gelatin in cold water. Melt chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Blend together milk and egg yolks, stir into sugar mix. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until mixture boils. Remove 1 cup of custard, and combine with chocolate: spread into baked pie shell. Stir softened gelatin into remaining hot custard mix. Stir in rum. Place pan in a bowl of ice water, or refrigerate. Stir occasionally, until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from spoon. Combine chocolate & the reserved custard mix. Pour into baked pie shell.
• Stir softened gelatin into remaining hot custard mix. Stir in rum. Place pan in a bowl of ice water, or refrigerate. Stir occasionally, until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from spoon.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Beat in 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat. Fold in chilled custard. Spread over chocolate mixture. Chill at least 3 hours or until set.

CARAMEL-PECAN BLACK BOTTOM PIE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and blend using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat water, egg yolk and vanilla together in small bowl. Add egg mixture to processor and process until large moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. (Dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Let dough stand at room temperature to soften slightly before continuing.)
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly butter 9-inch-diameter pie pan. Roll dough out on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to prepared pan. Fold edges under and crimp to form high fluted edge. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Line crust with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Pierce bottom of crust until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on rack.
• For filling:
• Combine brandy and vanilla in small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over and let stand 10 minutes. Place chocolate in medium bowl. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk half and half and egg yolks into sugar mixture. Cook over medium-high heat until custard is thick and smooth and begins to boil, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Quickly add 1 1/4 cups custard to chocolate. Stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Add brandy and gelatin mixture to remaining hot custard. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Spread chocolate filling in crust. Spread brandy filling over. Refrigerate uncovered until pie is completely cool.
• For topping:
• Heat sugar and water in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil, without stirring, until mixture is deep amber, brushing down sugar crystals from sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 11 minutes. Remove from heat and add cream (mixture will bubble up). Add butter and stir until smooth. Stir over low heat until color deepens and caramel thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Mix in pecans. Transfer to small bowl. Refrigerate until cool but not set, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Spoon topping over brandy layer. Chill pie until topping is set, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)