CRUST

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse it one time to mix. Add the butter pieces and pulse 4 times. Add shortening one tablespoon at a time and pulse each time you add a tablespoon. The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no bigger than peas. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water over flour mixture one tablespoon at a time. Pulse once after you add each tablespoon of water. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough doesn’t hold together, keep adding water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing once after each addition, until the mixture just begins to clump together.

Clean off your counter really well or use a pastry board or a nice cutting board. Flour your hands generously. Take the dough out of the food processor. Tilt the rolling pin and sprinkle it with flour as you rotate the rolling pin. Divide the dough into two balls and flatten each into a 4-inch wide disks. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on each disk and then wrap both separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour before rolling. When you are flattening the disks, you are not working the dough. You are just simply flattening the shape into a disk. If you are making the pie that day, make sure you refrigerate for at least an hour. It can stay for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Reserve the second disk for another pie.

When it is time to roll the dough out to make my pie, I take it out of the refrigerator and I usually let my dough sit out for about 5 minutes before rolling. It’s hot here in Florida. Doesn’t take more than 5 minutes to get to the perfect rolling temperature.

On a lightly floured surface, form pastry into a ball; shape into a flattened round. (For two-crust pie, divide pastry into halves and shape into two rounds.) Roll pastry 2 inches larger than an inverted pie plate with a floured rolling pin. Fold pastry into quarter folds and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

Using a rolling pin, apply light pressure while rolling outwards from the center of the dough. Every once in a while you may need to gently lift under the dough You have a big enough piece of dough when you place the pie tin or pie dish upside down on the dough and the dough extends by at least 2 inches all around.

When the dough has reached the right size, gently fold it in half. Lift up the dough and place it so that the folded edge is along the center line of the pie dish. Gently unfold and be sure to not stretch the dough to fit. Fold pastry into quarter folds and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

Place pie dough in the refrigerator to firm up for about 45 minutes in the refrigerator or 20 minutes in the freezer.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Place parchment paper over the pie shell. Fill up the parchment paper with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for about 25 minutes until lightly golden color. REmove from the oven and place on a rack. Carefully remove parchment paper and beans (or pie weights). Let the shell cool down.

FILLING

Place a metal bowl over a small pot of simmering water. Add in the chocolate and butter. Stir with a spatula until smooth and melted.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Stir in the espresso, melted chocolate and butter and whisk together to blend. .

Evenly spread the toasted pecan pieces in the pie shell. Arrange the pecan halves all around perimeter of pie shell with the points facing and and back touching crust to make a decorative border.

Bake until filling puffs up and slightly cracks. Filling should spring back to touch and still jiggle just a bit, about 45-55 minutes. Transfer it to a rack and allow it to cool completely (at least 4 hours) before serving. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.