This Malted Chocolate Pecan Pie is a creative twist on a classic. Toasted pecans combine with a malty chocolate custard in this fan favorite fall pie hailing from the Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Shop in Brooklyn, New York.
To partially pre-bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 425°F and place baking sheet on a rack on the lowest position. Roll out the dough to ⅛-inch thickness and carefully lay it into a 9-inch pie pan or dish, being careful not to stretch the dough. Trim or fold the edges underneath and crimp as desired.
Freeze the crust for about 15 to 20 minutes to allow it to set. Prick all over the bottom and sides with a fork about 20 to 25 times. Line the crust with a piece of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dry beans. Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until the crimped edges are set but not browned.
Remove the pan and the baking sheet from the oven, lift out the parchment and the pie weights and let the crust cool for a minute. Beat together the egg white and water. Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom and sides with a thin layer of egg white glaze to moistureproof the crust. Now, return the pan, on the baking sheet, to the oven’s middle rack and continue baking for 3 more minutes. Remove and cool completely before filling.
For the pie: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. To toast the pecans, spread them in a single layer on a small rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant, stirring occasionally (alternatively you can toast the nuts in a toaster oven, but you will still need to set your regular oven to 350°F to bake the pie later). Set aside to cool.
Bring an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl large enough to rest on the rim of the saucepan, above the water. Melt the butter and chocolate over this double boiler, whisking occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat.
Add the brown sugar, barley malt syrup, salt, cinnamon, and ginger, and stir well. Mix in the sour cream, then the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Stir in the cooled toasted pecan pieces.
Place the pre-baked pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet and pour in the filling. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 55 to 60 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, about 35 minutes through baking (if the crust browns too quickly, tent the edges with a ring of aluminum foil). The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is slightly firm to the touch but still has some wobble (like gelatin). Be careful not to over-bake or the custard can separate. The filling will continue to cook and set after the pie is removed from the oven.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.
Notes
Use chopped pecans or pecan pieces instead of whole pecan halves. The pie will be easier to cut and the there is a better balance of nuts to crust to filling.
Barley malt syrup is a thick, sticky, dark brown, unrefined sweetener made from barley. It's often used in breadmaking, bagel making, and other baking. In this chocolate pecan pie, it provides sweetness in addition to a distinctly malty flavor.
When I crimp the edges of my pie crusts, I don't often trim the dough (as long as it's not too excessive), but instead just fold the dough underneath itself to make a thicker edge. Then I crimp the crust as desired, usually with my knuckles.
For pie weights, you can purchase ceramic pie weights and/or use dry beans. I actually use a combination because I had purchased pie weights at one time, but they weren't enough to really fill the pie crust so I added dry beans to have enough. Either way, you want to make sure you completely fill the pie with weights (and push them out toward the edges), otherwise the sides won't properly stay up when pre-baking.