Chef Phillip’s Chocolate Pecan Pie
From A Vegan Holiday Feast
Illustration by Julia Cost
Recipe by Chef Phillip Gelb of Sound & Savor
Yield: 1 9-inch pie
Crust
11⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1⁄3 cup coconut oil, solid, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons tahini
¼ cup cold water
Filling
21⁄3 cups raw pecans (some whole and some in pieces)
1¾ cups maple syrup
¾ cup raw cashews
½ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Salt
½ cup cornstarch
1 cup chocolate chips
For the crust: Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the coconut oil with a pastry blender or two knives until it looks like little beads.
Combine tahini and water in a separate bowl, and gently mix into the flour mixture. Gather dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for an hour.
For the filling: Preheat oven to 325°. Spread pecans on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, taking care not to let them burn. Set aside to cool. Leave oven on.
Place maple syrup in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
Purée cashews with ½ cup water, vanilla, and a dash of salt in a high-speed blender until very smooth. Blend in the hot maple syrup and cornstarch.
Roll out piecrust and fit into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pan. Top with the chocolate chips and toasted pecans. Pour blended mixture over top. Bake in center of oven for 40 minutes, or until the top is firm and dry. Let cool completely on a rack before serving.
