chocolate

Make the crust

• Use a food processor to pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the shortening and butter to form coarse crumbs. Add the vinegar and the minimum 6 tablespoons water. [Note that the vinegar may smell quite strong but that will bake away.] Pulse repeatedly. If the dough doesn’t start to come together, drizzle in more water and pulse more but don’t overwork.
• Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and press together into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Chill in fridge for at least an hour, or up to a few days.
• Line jelly roll pan with a large piece of foil that covers bottom and up all four sides. Apply nonstick spray.
• Roll out the dough to create a very large rectangle, about 13×18, and use the rolling pin to lift it into the pan. Press crust in, folding over excess dough and crimping. Chill pan in fridge, uncovered, for at least an hour.
• Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Line the interior of the crust with foil. Fill up with pie weights or dried beans.
• Bake crust for 20 to 25 minutes, until turning golden at edges. Carefully use the foil to lift the pie weights onto another pan to cool completely.
• Return the crust to the oven to bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until golden across the bottom. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Reduce oven temperature 325 degrees.

Make the filling

• Place butter and chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each pass, until melted and smooth.
• Mix the sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt into the chocolate. Follow up with the half & half, vanilla, whole eggs, and yolks until smooth without any streaks of egg.
• Pour filling into the cooled crust. Bake until pie is set with only a slight jiggle to the middle, 25 to 35 minutes.
• Transfer to a rack to cool. A bench knife will be easier to cut the pie within the pan, but regular sharp knife will also do. Serve warm or at room temperature. It is best with ice cream, Cool Whip, canned dairy cream, etc.

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• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/3 cup chocolate chips in a few short bursts, taking care not to overcook. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool a smidge.
• Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in the melted chocolate chips, blending until it forms a consistent brown color. Slowly mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Chill dough for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Place parchment on baking sheet.
• Scoop the dough using a teaspoon or small scoop, spacing apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until set in middle. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to rack.
• Store in a sealed container. Keeps well for at least 3 days.

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• Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter to soften. Add both sugars and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla followed by the eggs one by one.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate everything. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Use a scoop or tablespoon to space out dough on parchment. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until they look set and light gold. Let them remain on the pan a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
• Store cookies at room temperature in a sealed container.

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Make crust

• Place the butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and heat on medium until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is fully melted.
• In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the butter mixture to thoroughly moisten.
• Place tart pan on a cookie sheet. Press crumbs evenly across the base and sides of the tart pan. Use the cookie sheet to place pan in fridge for at least 1 hour, or freeze for 15 minutes.

Make filling

• In a medium saucepan, bring the heavy cream and espresso powder to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chocolate and butter; let them stand for 2 minutes, then stir until glossy and smooth. Pour the ganache into the crust and smooth out with an uneven spatula.
• Chill tart in fridge until it’s starting to set, about 20 minutes, then sprinkle flaked sea salt over top.
• Put back in fridge to chill until completely set, at least an hour. Carefully pop the tart pan's outer ring off. Place base onto a cake plate or other serving dish. Cut off slices to serve. Serve with a drizzle of caramel on top, or use honey or fruit preserves. Would also be great with ice cream.
• Cover tart with foil to store in fridge. Will keep well for at least 6 days.

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• Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a big bowl, cream together butter and both sugars until they are light and fluffy. Add egg and almond extract.
• In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold in the white chocolate chips and almonds.
• Use a cookie scoop or spoon to create dough balls. Space them out on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cookies look set. Let them rest on the sheet a couple minutes, then transfer them to a rack to fully cool. Store in a sealed container.

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Make the pie crust

• Combine flour and salt. Cut in the cold butter until crumbly. Gradually add in ice water, pausing to mix with hands every so often. Stop adding water when the dough comes together. Shape into a disk and encase in plastic wrap to chill for at least an hour or for a day.

Shape crust

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
• Lightly flour a clean, flat surface. Roll out dough to roughly fit the pan (hold the pan over the dough to gauge the correct shape). Press dough into pan so that it goes evenly across bottom and up all four sides. Pinch off excess dough and use that to patch and extend elsewhere. It doesn’t need to be pretty, as it will largely be covered by filling.
• Place crust in fridge to chill.

Make filling

• Melt the two sticks of butter in microwave or on stovetop. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, and salt, scraping bottom to incorporate. Stir in flour, melted butter, and vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Pour filling into chilled crust. Sprinkle pecans all over top.
• Cover top loosely with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil. Bake another 30 minutes. Check for doneness; the pie is done when the top is golden and a butter knife tip inserted in the middle comes out clean. Pie may need as much as 15 more minutes to finish baking, meaning the total baking time can range from 50 to 105 minutes.
• Cool in pan on wire rack, then place in fridge to fully set and chill. Use foil to lift pie onto a cutting board to slice into bars.
• Store bars in sealed container in fridge. Best eaten within a few days.

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