French Silk Pie

I thought I would start us out with my personal favorite and one of the only recipes that I make entirely from scratch. I'm pretty proud of this one, as it always gets compliments. It's a little time consuming, but it's definitely worth it, especially for the holidays.

Makes 1 9-inch pie

Crust:

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) chilled salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan

1/3 cup pecan halves

1- 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

Filling:

12 Tablespoons (1- ½ sticks) salted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1- ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

Whipped cream, for serving

Chocolate curls, for serving

1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 9-inch pie plate; set aside. Grind pecans in a food processor, or chop very finely with a knife. In a medium bowl, combine flour, pecans, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press firmly into prepared pie plate. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

2. Make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the vanilla. Add eggs, on at a time, beating at medium speed for five minutes after each addition. Blend in chocolate. Pour filling into cooled pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

3. Just before serving, top pie with whipped cream, and decorate with chocolate curls.

Note: Raw eggs should not be used in food preparation for pregnant women, babies, young children, or anyone whose health is compromised.