Last-Minute Chocolate Pecan Pie

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. Let them cool and then chop coarsely (if desired).

Using a double boiler, melt semisweet chocolate and butter together. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, brown sugar, golden or corn syrup, vanilla, and salt until blended. Stir in the melted chocolate and butter mixture and the pecans until evenly distributed.

Pour the filling into the frozen pie shell and arrange the whole pecans on top. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for about 50 minutes, or until the filling has just set (it should still be a little wobbly when gently shaken). If the edges are browning too quickly while baking, wrap foil around the crust. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for about 1 hour before serving.

This chocolate pecan pie was a spur-of-the moment recipe for me this Thanksgiving. There’s always room for more dessert on my table, so when I realized I had one extra frozen pie shell (yes, I went with pre-made crusts this year) and a few other choice ingredients, I decided to throw together a chocolate pecan pie. Pecan pies are so simple to make—just one bowl is all you need, and adding chocolate just seems like, well, duh.