Kentucky Derby Chocolate Pecan (Printable)

A rich chocolate and pecan tart with a buttery crust, perfect for festive Southern gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pastry Crust

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
05 - 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

→ Chocolate Pecan Filling

06 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
07 - 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
09 - 3 large eggs
10 - 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1 cup pecan halves or pieces

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Cut in cold cubed butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water while stirring until dough comes together. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
03 - Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-inch tart pan. Press dough evenly into pan, trim excess from edges, and refrigerate while preparing the filling.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, bourbon if using, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and well combined.
05 - Stir chocolate chips and pecan pieces into the wet mixture until evenly distributed throughout.
06 - Pour filling into chilled tart shell, spreading evenly across the surface.
07 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the center is just set and the top is golden brown.
08 - Allow tart to cool completely before slicing. Serve plain or with whipped cream if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The filling stays fudgy and rich while the crust stays crisp—a texture combination that somehow feels like eating silk and crunch at the same time.
  • It's showy enough to impress without requiring pastry school, and you can make it hours ahead so you're actually relaxed when guests arrive.
02 -
  • The filling will seem too loose when you pour it in, which feels wrong, but it firms to fudgy perfection—underbaking is actually the goal here because carryover heat keeps cooking it after you pull it out.
  • Letting the tart cool completely before slicing sounds tedious but changes everything; warm filling breaks apart while cool filling slices like butter.
03 -
  • If your crust cracks while fitting the pan, patch it with scraps of raw dough and it'll fuse invisibly during baking—kitchens have given me permission to be imperfect.
  • The chocolate chips don't need to fully melt into the filling; little pockets of chocolate make each bite interesting and richer than you'd expect.
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