Salted Chocolate Pecan Tart

Holidays seem to intensify both reverence and busyness, and the crazy-making chaos that ensues–where we know we need to spend hushed evenings with the ones we love in front of a fire, but really have to get though one more networking gathering/cocktail party/Friendsgiving–call for an emergency fix. Pie is the answer. It’s contained and comforting and just-sweet-enough, somehow both decadent and wholesome. So yes, pie for Thanksgiving, but pie for the other days too. Pie for the days when we want to celebrate in stolen moments, when we want to eat a slice, laughing in the kitchen in the dim light of morning or curled up on the couch late at night, recounting the stories from the party we just left. Pie wrapped in foil and tucked in a lunch kit, pie for breakfast, pie to come home to after holiday traffic.

Here’s one of our favorites–dark chocolate and nutty pecans set off with a salty-sweet kick. Enjoy with clouds of softly whipped cream.

Serves: 6-8
Total Time: 1 hour

• 1 recipe basic pie dough
• 3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 Tbs butter
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1 c. organic corn syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 c. pecan halves
• 1 tsp. coarse, flaky salt (I use Maldon)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line an 11 inch tart pan with rolled pastry, trim edges, and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate with butter, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. In another small saucepan, heat sugar and corn syrup to a full boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat and simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and cool.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla, then pour in melted chocolate mixture and sugar syrup. Place pecan halves in tart shell and carefully pour in filling mixture. Sprinkle salt evenly over tart.
5. Place tart on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 and continue baking until the crust is evenly browned and the filling is set, about 25 minutes longer.