Coconut-Pecan German Chocolate Pie

My family is a bunch of sweet nuts. I mean that in more ways than one. Seriously, Dan came home from work with this recipe from Taste of Home that we just had to make. Myself, who would rather have extra pasta than a sweet was lukewarm and said that it looked good and we'd have to make it. Let me say...this was hands down one of the best desserts I have ever had. It was unbelievably delicious. I saw later that it was one of Taste of Homes top recipes of 2014 and I wholeheartedly believe it. We used our pie crust recipe instead of the one listed with the Taste of Home recipe. It is a little involved, but if you are a German chocolate lover it will be worth it I promise.

Coconut-Pecan German Chocolate Pie

For the crust:
1  1/2 cups flour
3/4  teaspoon salt
1/2  cup shortening
3-4  tablespoons cold water
For the filling:
4  ounces German sweet chocolate, chopped
2  ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1  can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
4  egg yolks
1  teaspoon vanilla extract
1  cup chopped pecans
For the topping:
1/2  cup packed brown sugar
1/2  cup heavy whipping cream
1/4  cup butter, cubed
2  egg yolks
1  cup flaked coconut
1  teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4  cup chopped pecans

For the crust:
Mix the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender or fork, until just blended and it has formed pea sized chunks. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of water at a time and continue lightly mixing with a fork until the dough holds together and will come together into a ball. Flatten the ball slightly, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a large circle, about 1 inch larger than your 9" pie plate. Carefully place in the pie plate and flute the edges. Line with a double thickness of foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice. Cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for 11-13 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 6-8 more minutes until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack and reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees.

For the filling:
Melt the chocolates in a large bowl in the microwave and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. Whisk in condensed milk, egg yolks, and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Pour into cooled crust and bake at 350 degrees for 16-19 minutes or until set. Set aside and cool for 1 hour on the wire rack.

For the topping:
In a small heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cream and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Return to the saucepan and cook 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly until mixture thickens and a thermometer reads 160 degrees. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut and vanilla. Cool about 10 minutes.

Pour over the topping mixture over the cooled filling. Sprinkle with pecans and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until cold.

Enjoy!

Kim

Recipe source: Taste of Home Coconut-Pecan German Chocolate Pie