Chocolate Espresso Pecan Pie

Homemade Pie. Those two words alone have the ability to transport you to a different era. A different era because, let's face it, homemade pie is not part of our era. This may be due in part to the reality that people don't take the time to make their own pie crust anymore. Sure, you can make your own pie with a pre-made, frozen crust, but that's not homemade pie. That's homemade filling. Or maybe its because pie is now losing ground to the cheesecakes, bread puddings and creme brulees of our modern day tastes. But as good as the latter may be, they just don't seem to satisfy my craving for pure comfort like pie does. This thanksgiving Lauren took on the challenge of making her first pecan pie. She decided to take this to another level and make it a chocolate, espresso pecan pie. Boy was that a great idea. The light, flaky crust topped with the dense, rich concoction of roasted pecans and decadent chocolate was sensory overload for me and for all that managed to score a slice. Luckily, there were many takers of the pie, otherwise I'd have a few extra pounds to show from my holiday eating.