Dark Chocolate Pecan Squares

A simple and yummy dessert

Crust:

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening, cold

3-6 tbsp ice water

Filling

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

2 cups toasted pecans

3 eggs

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup golden corn syrup

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1. Crust:  Blend flour and salt in a medium size mixing bowl.  Cut chilled shortening into 1/2” cubes.  Mix in chilled shortening cubes into flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea sized pieces remaining.  Sprinkle half of ice water over the flour mixture.  Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly.  Add remaining water, 1 tbsp at a time until dough is moist enough to hold together.
2. Flatten dough into 1/2” thick round disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
3. Preheat oven to 375F.
4. Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14” square.  Transfer dough into a 9”x9” square baking pan. Trim edges to height of baking dish.  Roll edge under so dough comes 3/4 of the way up the sides of the dish.
5. Filling:  Spread melted chocolate over the bottom of the dough.  Refrigerate to set.  Cover with pecans once cooled.  
6. Whisk together eggs, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl.  Whisk in corn syrup.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Pour over pecans.
7. Bake in preheated oven until filling is puffed, about 50 min

Dark Chocolate Whiskey Cake

The original recipe called for Irish Whiskey but my taste buds are not refined enough to know the difference so I used Glenfiddich - a Scottish Whisky that I already had.  A wonderful rich desert, don't go cheap on the chocolate as it will ruin the desert.

1/2 cup whiskey
6 oz bittersweet (70%) chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp instant coffee powder dissolved in 1/3 cup hot water
1/3 cup toasted ground almonds
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated

ICING
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp whiskey
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter and flour an 8 inch springform pan.  Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, bring 1/2 cup whiskey to boil over medium high heat until it reduces in half, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to metal bowl and add chopped chocolate and coffee mixture.  Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.  Remove bowl from on top of water and set aside.
3. In a bowl, whisk together almonds, flour and salt.  Set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Fold in chocolate mixture.  Using clean, dry beaters, beat egg white in bowl until stiff peaks form.  Fold one third of the whites into the batter with one third of the flour mixture in 3 additions.  Transfer batter to prepared pan, gently smoothing top with spatula.
5. Bake in the centre of the oven until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 40 minutes.  Cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes and then remove pan collar to cool completely.
6. For icing, in a small bowl, combine chocolate and whiskey.  Place over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until smooth.  Add butter piece by piece waiting until each piece is melted before adding the next.  Let thicken slightly and drizzle over cake. Decorate with berries

Serves 12