High summer has arrived.
It’s hot around most of the country. Damned hot.
I was bitching about it yesterday – it hit all of 76 here in the South Sound and the neighbors were out squirting one another with the hose in their front yard. Not the kids….the parents.
Yikes.
High summer otherwise means it’s time for some great food from the grill and smoker; She Who Must Be Obeyed is hosting some sorta shindig in a few days. I’ve been ‘volunteered’ to serve as chief cook and bottle washer and I understand that I even suggested we’re doing fajitas.
After bantering around options she’s decided dessert shall be this killer Death by Chocolate Pecan Pie in a reverential tip of the hat to our southern roots and the fact that it’s even better served cold on a hot evening, topped with a big scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream (that I must have also volunteered to make).
The potent, rich chocolate flavor is well complimented by the nuts and this one is basically a stir and mix recipe. Even a fly fisherman can put this one together.
1 cup Hershey’s chocolate syrup
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 and 1/2 cups pecans, chopped (walnuts play here too)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp. AP flour
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 tsp. salt
9 or 10 inch unbaked pie shell
Preheat the oven to 375.
Mix it up. Combine everything but the pie shell in a bowl and stir to mix well.
Make a pie. Pour into the pie shell and for about an hour; you’re looking for the filling to set and the crust to brown just a bit.
Serve cold. During these dog days of summer, we like to serve this one chilled with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream slowly melting on top. If you’ve really been good and burned the calories that day, drizzle with some more chocolate syrup and chopped nuts.
Enjoy.
