Southern Belle Chocolate Praline Pecan Pie

This is an unusual pecan pie because it uses only brown sugar--no corn syrup. This gives it a wonderful consistentcy, and this is my most requested dessert of all time. I always have to take 2 extras to family gatherings so everyone can take some home. I got the original recipe from my aunt, but I have added the cocoa, more pecans, more eggs, the alcohol and changed other ingredient amounts over the years, so I consider it my creation now.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Yields: 3 pies

Ingredients

• 3  9-inch pie shells
• 3⁄4 cup butter
• 6  large eggs
• 2 (16 ounce) boxes light brown sugar
• 3  tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1⁄3 cup evaporated milk
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2  tablespoons Kahlua or 2  tablespoons  Tia Maria or 2  tablespoons Amaretto
• 2  cups  chopped pecans
• 18  pecan halves, for decoration

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Melt the butter and set aside.
3. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl.
4. Sift the brown sugar into the eggs (yes, sift) and mix well.
5. Add the remaining ingredients except for the pecan halves and mix thoroughly.
6. NOTE: If you don't want to add the 2 Tablespoons of alcohol, then increase the vanilla extract amount to 1 Tablespoon.
7. Distribute the pie filling evenly between the 3 pie crusts, and decorate the tops of each pie with 6 pecan halves in a pinwheel pattern.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 35 minutes.