NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Leon home cook Charity Hullinger's double chocolate pecan pie recipe has been awarded a blue ribbon at Just A Pinch Recipes, a recipe and coupon social network for home cooks at www.justapinch.com.
Hullinger’s double chocolate pecan pie was named a blue ribbon winner by Just A Pinch Food Editor Janet Tharpe. To land the award, Hullinger served up a full-flavored dish that was both tasty and easy to prepare.
“This is so rich and decadent! Just perfect for both lovers of chocolate and pecan pie. It has three layers to it, the pecan pie filling, then the fudge layer, and then a meringue layer to finish it off.”
Hullinger is one of 18 Leon residents sharing recipes with the social network, which in just four years has become the largest database of user-posted recipes — anywhere.
On the site, users can post their own “family tested and approved” recipes and try recipes submitted by others, use a menu calendar and grocery list, create custom cookbooks, print hundreds of grocery coupons, enter recipe contests and join discussion groups.
They may also use Pinch It!, a robust site feature that allows users to capture and share recipes from virtually anywhere online with a simple click and seamlessly integrate
them into their digital recipe boxes. These features allow home cooks to build relationships virtually, as if they are sitting around one big kitchen table.
“We continually add new features to the club based on the feedback of our members,” Tharpe said. “It’s because of people like Charity Hullinger, who is proud to share her family’s favorite recipes with other home cooks, that the club has become so popular and is growing so fast.”
Founded in 2010, Just A Pinch Recipes offers free memberships and premium perks. Join them in the kitchen at www.justapinch.com.
Double Chocolate Pecan Pie by Charity Hullinger (Leon)
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD CRUST:
1 c all purpose flour
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
PECAN PIE FILLING:
3/4 c chopped pecans, toasted
2 large eggs
2/3 c granulated sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
FUDGE LAYER:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
MERINGUE LAYER:
4 egg whites, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c granulated sugar, plus little extra
Directions
Toast your pecans in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.
To make the crust: sift together in a medium sized bowl, the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl cream together the butter and the sugar with a hand mixer. Once it is creamed, add the vanilla and the egg yolk and mix well. Slowly add the dry ingredients until the mix looks crumbly.
Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom sprayed with non-stick spray. You can use your fingers or the back of a measuring cup to press it evenly into the pan and up the sides. Prick the bottom of the crust and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
White the crust is in the fridge, make the pecan pie filling. Mix together the eggs, sugar, light corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla. I like to chop up my pecans into little pieces and mix them directly into the filling.
After the 30 minutes is done, add the filling mix and make sure it is even across the bottom.
Place in the oven and bake about 60 minutes or until center slightly moves.
While the pecan pie layer is baking, make the fudge layer. Melt together the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and vanilla extract in the microwave until it is smooth and glossy.
Remove pecan pie layer from oven and while it is still hot spread the fudge layer gently over the top. Let cool.
When the layers are cooled, make the meringue. Place the egg whites and vanilla into a stand mixer (or you can use a hand mixer) and whip until soft peaks form, then gradually add the sugar until very stiff peaks form.
Add meringue to the other layers, making sure to gently spread it around to cover up the other layers completely.
Let it stand in peaks all around and then using a creme brulee torch, brown the entire meringue layer. Enjoy!