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

Chocolate Tiramisu

Enough about the kids - back to chocolate :)!  Nothing healthy here - but definitely yummy!

2 cups cold coffee

1 container (500g) mascarpone cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled

36 - 40 Italian ladyfinger cookies

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place cold coffee in a shallow bowl. reserve
2. In a separate bowl, beat mascarpone and condensed milk until well combined.  Reserve.
3. Whip cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks.  Add vanilla into whipping cream.  Gently fold into reserved mascarpone mixture until combined.  Lightly swirl in melted and cooled chocolate.
4. Dipping both sides of each ladyfinger cookie into cold coffee, line bottom of a 9”x13” baking dish with 18 ladyfinger cookies in 3 rows, trimming edges if necessary.  Spread half the chocolate swirled mascarpone filling, about 2 cups on top.  Dip remaining ladyfinger cookies in coffee and arrange over filling inpan.  Spread remaining mascarpone filling on top.
5. Chill covered with plastic wrap, at least 4 hours