A new tradition

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whoa… I’m really cutting it close this year. Finally I have a thanksgiving recipe for you. I hope you aren’t finished cooking yet because I do believe this tart is worth making some space in the oven for.

It’s tradition with a kick.

Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Tart with a brown butter crust is just what your holiday table needs.

I’ve never been a big fan of pecan pie. I find the sugary custard overly sweet. It’s the kind of too-sweet that gets me in the back of my throat causing me to make a wretching face that other diners find quite unattractive. So when I was asked to bring a pecan pie to the holiday festivites I was less than enthused. Following my tendency to not follow recipes I began to experiment on how I could make this popular classic one that I would enjoy as well.

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The answer was obvious and one that I usually use to solve many problems I encounter…. add chocolate! Dark chocolate to be exact. So rich and intense that when introduced to the sugar-laden pie filling a harmonious marriage is created. Suddenly the pie is not only palatelabe but beautifully balanced.

Then add to that a nutty brown butter crust and the refreshing zing of zest and you have yourself a pecan pie-ish type dessert that rises above tradition and scoffs at it’s predesessors. Well, maybe not scoffs. I think this dessert is too sweet to be that mean, but not too sweet to induce the gag reflex.

Enjoy!

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Tart Dough
¼ cup sugar
½ cup butter (browned)
pinch salt
½ tsp vanilla
1 cup flour

Combine sugar, butter, salt, vanilla. Then add in flour.

Pecan Filling

2 cups pecan halves (7 ounces), toasted and cooled

3 large eggs

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon orange zest

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (Valrhona, 70%)

Par-bake the tart shell. 375 degrees 10-15 minutes until color is just starting to appear. While it is still warm add the chocolate to the shell. The residual heat will melt the chocolate. Add the pecans.

Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl, then whisk in corn syrup and pour over pecans.

Carefully pour the filling into the shell.

Bake pie until filling is puffed and crust is golden, 25 to 35 minutes.  Cool pie on a rack to warm or room temperature. Serve with maple whipped cream (1 cup cream, 3 Tbl. maple syrup) and pomegranate seeds.

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Classic Cooking

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There are few things in life that I enjoy more than shopping for used books. It’s truly a thrilling hunt as you scour the piles of musty books in search of a real find.

(Let’s be honest I always find something. I will always make room on my already crowded bookcase for another book.)

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I used to feel guilty for my insatiable quest and overly abundant collection of books but I have come to realize that each one has a unique purpose and reason for having their coveted position on the bookshelf.

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There was one expedition that landed a real gem in the treasure hunt of used recipes. It was a day like most, cold, gray and wet. With coffee in hand, like a kid anticipating the inevitable trip to the candy store I approached the bookstore giddy with excitement.

There it was, re-covered in plastic protecting its dated rust orange cover. The LIFE Picture Cookbook… to date the greatest find in all my years of used book hunting.

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I resist the urge to cut out and frame every picture in this book. They are all so delightfully dated. The text beckons back to the days of yesteryear where men were in charge of grilling the steaks and women made liverwurst sandwiches with protein bread for the children’s lunches.

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Chapters include:

Man’s Job: Steak

French Lesson in Innards

Cooking on Ice

Luxury with Leftovers

and Elegant Picnics

There is even a section on dining out that includes some of the top restaurants from the countries biggest cities.

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Published in 1958 this classic is more than just an old cookbook. It is a snap shot of a life that was once lived. Food transcends the dinner table. It tells us so much about who we are and what our lives are like. It is culture and this book tells me more about this period of time than many history books ever could.

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I have to admit that there are numerous recipes that I am eager to try. Some look tasty, others – not so much. This one sounds intriguing. A retro twist on a Fall classic.

Acorn Squash Baked with Pineapple

3 acorn squashes, halved

1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

2 tbl. dry sherry

2 tbl. brown sugar

6 tbl. butter

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

Scoop out squash seeds and fibers. Place in greased baking dish and put 1 tsp. each of sherry, brown sugar and butter in each half. Cover and bake in a hot oven (400*) for 30 minutes or until tender. Scoop cooked squash out of shells, leaving wall about 1/4 inch thick. Mash squash and combien with 4 tbl. butter and remaining ingredients, beating until well blended. Spoon back into shells and return to hot oven (425*) for 15 minutes. Serves 6.

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