My Great Aunt Sister’s Chocolate Pecan Pie in a Graham Cracker Pecan Crust

Sister’s Chocolate Pecan Pie

Note: Directions for pie filling the same as Sister’s original handwritten recipe

Prepare crust in advance (see below).

In mixing bowl mix 3 whole eggs & 5 egg yellows.

In separate bowl mix dry:

1 ¾ cup sugar
½ cup flour
½ cup cocoa
1 ½ t cinnamon

Add to unbeaten eggs and mix well.

In saucepan bring to a boil:

1 small can Carnation or Pet milk
2 ½ cans water
½ stick of butter

When boiling add chocolate mixture stirring. Cook slowly stirring.

Add vanilla (I asked my mom how much vanilla and she said, it’s always a capful) and 2 cups halved pecans. Beat smooth.

1 Nutty Graham Cracker Crust

¾ cup coarsely shopped pecans
2 T firmly packed light brown sugar
2 T flour
1 cup plus 2 T graham cracker crumbs (approx 8 graham crackers ground in a food processor)
1 t ground cinnamon
Big pinch of salt
¼ c (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter your choice of pie pan and set aside.
2.Combine the pecans, brown sugar and flour in a food processor and process in a number of long bursts until the nuts are very finely chopped. Dump the mixture into a large bowl. Run your fingers through them, breaking up any bigger pieces the machine might have missed. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and incorporate well. Mix first with a fork, then with your hands, and rub everything together thoroughly to form evenly dampened crumbs*.
3.Spread the crumbs evenly and loosely in the pie pan, pressing them into the bottom and up the side. Refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes.
4.Place on the center oven rack and bake for 7 minutes. Let cool before filling.

If the graham cracker crumbs are crumbly and too ornery to form a crust, mix 1 T flour into the crumbs and dry ingredients. Then run your fingers under the faucet to dampen just before you mix with your hands.