Brownie Walnut Pie

I saw the lovely Giada De Laurentiis make this pie on her chocolate themed episode on Food Network a while back and have wanted to make it ever since. So when my coworker’s Birthday approached and I found out he prefers pie over cakes and likes chocolate and nuts, this dessert immediately came to mind.

You can follow the original recipe and make a tasty biscotti cookie crust, but I went with a simple homemade graham cracker crust instead. But, I decided to use dark brown sugar to give it a richer and deeper flavor that really worked with the chocolate and walnut combo. (the crust recipe will be posted soon too!) The consistency of the pie is like a fudgy brownie and is super rich. So just a warning that a small slice will go a long way! You can get creative with the nutty decoration on the top of the pie. Plus if you want to sub another type of nut (pecans would be awesome too) it would be just as delicious!

Brownie Walnut Pie

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnut pieces
Graham cracker crust (pre-made or homemade)
Walnut halves, optional

Yield: 8-10 servings

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the butter and the chocolate over low heat in a medium saucepan until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the sugar, then the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour and salt with a spatula. Stir in the nut pieces. Scrape the batter into the prepared crust. Press a ring of walnut halves, if using, into the batter around the top edge.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the outer 2 to 3 inches are slightly puffed and dry looking and the center is set, 35 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out with some moist batter still attached. Cool the pie completely on a rack.

Cut the pie into wedges and serve with ice cream or whipped cream, if wanted. Enjoy!

Source: Food Network – Giada De Laurentiis