Consider this dessert a chocolate lover’s answer to a nut pie. The filling is fudgy and dense because there’s no flour or cornstarch in the mix. If you don’t care for walnuts, feel free to substitute pecans or even hazelnuts. By the way, don’t fear the corn syrup. It’s gotten a lot of bad press and no, you don’t want to use it every day. But it’s the only way to get that classic, sort of jelly-like set to a nut pie.
Single-crust version of Shortening-Butter Crust
14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ pounds walnuts, chopped (about 4 cups)
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare and shape the crust as directed in a 13 × 18-inch lipped sheet pan. Prick the crust repeatedly with a flatware fork across the flat surface and up the sides.
3. Loosely cover the crust with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, remove the foil, and cool while you prepare the filling. Maintain the oven’s temperature.
4. Melt the butter and chocolate in a large saucepan set over medium-low heat, stirring almost all the while, until about two-thirds of the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat and continue stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
5. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then whisk in the brown sugar and corn syrup until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Finally, stir in the walnuts and pour into the crust.
6. Bake until puffed and set, and until the center jiggles slightly when the sides of the pan are tapped, about 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before serving.
TESTER NOTES
More than any other recipe in this book, this one requires that the eggs be at room temperature. If they’re cool, they’ll slow down the baking and cause the edges of the pie to get overdone, a little dry and cracked. By the way, if you substitute a gluten-free pie-crust mix, this slab pie becomes a gluten-free treat.