Culinary Tip of the Week: Gluten-Free Holiday Baking
Chocolate Pecan Pie

By Rebecca Reilly (Gluten-Free Baking)

1 single-crust recipe flaky pastry
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
2 TBS unsalted butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup pecan halves
Butter one 9-inch pie plate.

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Flaky Pastry:
(Single Crust)

1 cup basic gluten-free mix
2 TBS sweet rice flour
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
6 TBS cold, unsalted butter
1 egg
1 TBS cider vinegar or lemon juice

To Make Basic Gluten-Free Mix:
(store in an airtight container in the refrigerator)

Options:

Mix 2 cups brown rice flour or chickpea flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, and 1/3 cup tapioca starch

Or mix 1 cup chickpea or Garfava flour (bean flour), 1 cup brown rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, and 1/3 cup tapioca starch

To Make Pastry:

Mix together the gluten-free mix, sweet rice flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into chunks; with fingers, work butter into the dry ingredients to form a coarse dough. Make a well. Break the egg into the well. Add the vinegar or lemon juice; using a fork, combine the liquids and begin to work the flour into the egg to form a soft dough. Shape into a flat cake. Cover and let refrigerate.

To Make Pie:

Roll out the pastry between two sheets of lightly floured (use rice flour) parchment paper. Line the pie plate with the pastry. Trim off the excess pastry and flute the edge. Refrigerate shell until ready to fill and bake.

Melt the chocolate in the coffee in a small saucepan over low heat or in a bowl in the microwave. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and let cool.

Beat the eggs, brown sugar, and corn syrup until fluffy. Stir in the melted chocolate. Fold in the chopped nuts. Pour the mixture into the pastry shell. Arrange the pecan halves on top.

Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375ºF and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes. Let pie cool before slicing.