Last week I made a pie crust and I warned you all that this week I would have something to put in it. Well, here it is: a tar heel pie.
What is a tar heel pie?
There are two answers to that question. The first comes from history. The name “tar heel” was first a derogatory term (and later reclaimed) for workers predominantly in North Carolina who worked in shipbuilding and in the tar industry. Since tar gets everywhere and sticks, these workers had tar-covered feet, hence the name. The pie comes from North Carolina, and the dark, fudgey color and texture of the pie was reminiscent of the tar that gave it the name.
The second answer is, simply put: it’s a brownie in a pie crust. Tar heel pie is basically just a brownie batter, with pecans mixed in, baked into a pie crust. It really is that simple!
I served mine with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, but it also goes great with ice cream.
Tar Heel Pie
Equipment
- Pie Pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Sauce Pan
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 Pie Crust See blog post on how to make one at home!
- 1 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
- 1 Stick Butter Melted
- ⅓ Cup Brown Sugar
- ⅓ Cup White Sugar
- 2 Eggs Room temp.
- ½ Cup Flour
- ¼ Cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 Tsp Espresso Powder
- 1½ Cups Chopped Pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Lightly beat the eggs in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- In the sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, stirring to avoid letting it burn. Once melted, turn off the heat and add in the chocolate chips to melt them, mixing until smooth. Mix in the sugar to dissolve, then add in the rest of the ingredients, including the eggs.
- Spread the batter evenly in the pie crust and bake for 30 minutes.
- Let the pie cool fully before serving, and top with your choice of creamy add-ons!