Chocolate Pecan Goodness

I saw these puppies when they came across my google reader and wow, they were tempting! And they were pretty darn good! I chose to use semi-sweet and bitter-sweet chocolate instead of the milk chocolate that the recipe called for. I made them for my work holiday party and people really liked them! The recipe takes a little bit of time to prepare but it's definitely worth it!


Chocolate Pecan Diamonds
adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Pecan Dough
5 tbsp COLD unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces, plus 1 tbsp melted to coat pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup unsalted pecans, toasted & coarsely chopped
2 tbsp cold water

Pecan Filling
12 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbsp pieces
2 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup light corn syrup
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
2 cups unsalted pecans, toasted & coarsely chopped
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

To make the dough:
Preheat oven to 325F.

Coat a 9 x 13 inch pan with the melted butter.

Sift together the flour and sugar and place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted the paddle attachment.

Add the cold butter one piece at a time while mixing on low, until mealy in texture, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks and mix on low until  the dough  forms around the paddle, about 30 seconds.

Add pecans and  mix on low for 30 seconds. I found that it wasn't forming into a dough so I added 2 tbsp of cold water and it came together at this point.

Remove dough from mixer and place in prepared pan. Use hands to flatten the dough evenly to cover the  bottom of the pan. Bake on center rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the filling:
Bring butter, brown sugar, cream, and corn syrup to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the brown sugar. Boil for 3 minutes, until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat. Add the unsweetened chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted.

Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Pour filling over the baked dough. Use a spatula to spread evenly.

Bake on center rack for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees halfway through.

Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the 10 ounces of bittersweet chocolate over the surface. Place pan back in the oven for 3 minutes. Remove from the oven, and use a spatula to smooth the chocolate. It kinds of makes a marbled effect with the chocolates.

Cool to room temperature for 30 minutes then refrigerate for an hour.

To serve:
Remove from fridge. Turn the pan over on to a clean, dry cutting surface, then turn the contents chocolate side up. Use a sharp knife, cut 1/4 inch off the edges and cut into squares. Serve at room temperature. Keep in refrigerator.