Chocolate Miso Caramel Pecan Pie

20 mins Prep Time

1 hours 0 mins Cook Time

Written By

Nadia Boachie

Pecan pie -- but add chocolate, bourbon and miso caramel. Pecan pie is a classic recipe that is honestly quite easy to make. It is a favourite around Thanksgiving, but a slice of a gooey pecan pie served with vanilla ice cream is a-okay in my books all year long. If you are a pecan pie lover, elevate it by adding a bit of tasty bourbon, chocolate and, of course, topping it off with an umami miso caramel sauce that honestly takes this to a whole other level. If you are feeling less adventurous, that is okay, stick with the pie alone, sans caramel and you are still sure to have a lip-smacking dessert. I made this with an all-shortening crust because I felt that butter crusts can sometimes be too rich or delicate with a filling so rich. Add this to the recipe books, and get ready to impress your friends and family.

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

Miso Caramel Topping

1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (90 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (120 mL) heavy cream, room temperature
2 tablespoons water
1-2 tablespoon miso, to taste

Filling

1 1/2 cups (170 grams) pecan halves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces (56 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
4 large eggs
1/2 cup (100 grams) packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon (5 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

Crust

5 Steps

Step 1

In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Use pastry cutter to cut shortening into flour.
Step 2

Add water one tablespoon at a time into flour until dough comes together.
Step 3

Form into disk, wrap the pastry in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Step 4

When ready to use, roll into a circle and line one plate with your 9-inch pie crust.
Step 5

Cut off any extra dough leaving a bit of extra above the lip of plate because of dough shrinkage when baking. Place prepared lined plate in fridge until ready to use.

Miso Caramel

9 Steps

Step 1

In a medium heavy duty pan, heat sugar on medium until melted. The sugar can burn at this stage so make sure to swirl around the sugar as it melts or use a wooden spatula to make sure it doesn't burn and that it melts evenly. Reduce the heat if you have to and look for signs like smell and colour to avoid burning.
Step 2

Once sugar is melted, add butter and mix vigorously until it is well combined.
Step 3

When butter is combined, cook for an additional 1 minute on medium without stirring. If the mixture appears to be getting dark too quickly, remove from heat.
Step 4

Carefully add your cream to the mixture and mix until well combined. Cook an additional 2 minutes total (from when you add the cream).
Step 5

Remove from heat, loosen miso with 2 tablespoons of water, and strain using a sieve and add to caramel.
Step 6

Remove from heat, stir to combine and whisk the loosened miso mixture in.
Step 7

Put the saucepan back on low heat and simmer for a minute.
Step 8

Take off heat and set aside to cool. It will thicken as it cools.
Step 9

Allow it to cool down and pour into a storage container (such as a glass jar). If you leave it in the fridge it will thicken even more but can be reheated to return to a more runny consistency.

Filling

4 Steps

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F and toast your pecans on a baking tray. Shake pan periodically until pecans become fragrant. This should take about 8-10 minutes and watch carefully because nuts can burn easily.
Step 2

In a saucepan or in the microwave, melt butter and chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool. Note: If you are melting butter and chocolate in the microwave do it in increments of 10-15 seconds depending on your microwave setting.
Step 3

In a large bowl, mix together cooled chocolate and butter, corn syrup, eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, bourbon and salt. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust that you placed in the fridge earlier. Arrange pecans over filling in a circular pattern or however you wish really. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until the filling is just set when the pan is jiggled, 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 4

Remove pie and allow to cool. Before fully cooled though, pour desired amount of miso caramel onto pie. If your miso caramel has been sitting in the fridge it may need to be reheated in the microwave slightly so it is pourable. Caramel might seep through cracks but this just adds to the tasty gooeyness of the pie once you slice into it.