Senator Mitch McConnell's "Chocolate Nut Pie"
Is there anything tastier than a nut pie? I grew up on pecan pie around Thanksgiving, and not the kind with corn syrup, but a butter base. Delicious, rich, obviously nutty. Well, guess who has their own recipe in this realm? That’s right, none other than the Grim Reaper himself, Mitch McConnell.
Already well-known to CWC fans for his spiceless Hoppin John, Mitch is not content to let a good recipe go untouched.
Let’s dive into Mitch’s nut pie.
Chef Mitch McConnell
Republican Senator from Kentucky
Favorite Food/Homespun Recipe: Recipe
Notable:
being pro-choice, pro-union and pro-Civil Rights when he entered politics in the 1960s
Quotable:
“I’ve often wished we had more women in the Senate.”
As always, I followed the recipe word for word, no alterations:
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 9-inch pie shell
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Mix in order given.
You can already tell this is going to be one of the easiest recipes we see on Cookin’ with Congress. A basic dump and bake scenario, difficult to mess up. Unless, of course, Mitch has already done that for us!
2) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until middle is set.
This ended up being a 35-minute deal to get that no-wiggle middle that you’re looking for in a derby pie. Yes, that’s what this recipe is at its core, a derby pie. The Kentucky staple (much like Mitch) inspired this version, which forgoes butter in favor of margarine and leaves the pie shell up to you (flaky? pecan? You pick).
Voila! If you want to actually watch me attempt to eat it, go to the Cookin’ with Congress Instagram or TikTok. Is it beautiful? No. Did it smell good while baking? Very much so. The toasted walnut top layer was aromatic. It seemed to layer evenly, which is…a good thing? I see clear striations: walnut crustiness, creamy margarine, chocolate pieces. Is it supposed to be this clearly defined? I’m not sure; I’ve seen images of derby pie and the chocolate seems to be more evenly distributed than Mitch McConnell’s. Still, it’s not ugly.
Verdict:
Hmm. The margarine sure is creamy and is also the dominant flavor. I mean it really packs the most punch here. It’s not awful, but my god, why not use butter? And why does it have to make up 35% of the pie by volume?
