Pie with a Kick: Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ok, ok… I just wrote a whole blog post about how you shouldn’t mess with traditional recipes on Thanksgiving, like how you should just make a classic pumpkin pie. But this recipe for pecan pie with chocolate and bourbon is just WAY too good to pass up.

I found it in BAKED‘s cookbook, which is one of my favorite bakeries in NYC and by far my favorite baking cookbook, so I knew it had to be good.  I tried it last year for my husband’s family Thanksgiving and sure enough, it was delicious.

The combination of the toasted pecans and the melted semisweet chocolate chips topping the crust make this pie decadent and rich.  The bourbon adds a perfect punch.  Trust me, even though this isn’t your classic pecan pie, no one will mind. Instead they will be singing your praises for making such a fantastic ending to a meal.

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

Recipe from Baked, New Frontiers in Baking

If you need to make the pie crust – Hands-on time: 45 minutes; Total time: 3 hours, 50 minutes

If the pie crust is already prepared – Hands-on time: 20 minutes; Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

• 1/2 Recipe of Classic Pie Dough
  • 3C all-purpose flour
  • 1T sugar
  • 1t salt
  • 1C (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter
  • 1/2C ice cold water
• 2C pecan halves, toasted — 3/4C coarsely chopped, remainder kept whole
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4C light corn syrup
• 3T sugar
• 4T firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 3T unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch of salt
• 1t vanilla extract
• 3T bourbon
• 1C (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1. To prepare the pie dough: Using a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube in a slow and steady stream, a small portion at a time until the dough just comes together. The dough should not be wet or sticky. If the dough is too dry and does not hold together, add a bit more water. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide in two and wrap each half in plastic wrap, shaping them into flattened discs. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
2. Unwrap the dough and roll out into a 12″ round pie dish.  Crimp the edges, wrap and freeze until the crust is firm, about 1-2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Add the corn syrup, sugars, butter, salt, vanilla and bourbon.  Whisk again until combined.  Stir in the chopped pecans and set the filling aside.
5. Spread the chocolate chips evenly along the bottom of the frozen pie shell. Slowly pour the filling on top of the chocolate chips.
6. Arrange the remaining pecan halves on top of the filling.  I suggest decoratively placing them in a circle around the crust, but any way works of course.
7. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes.  Cover the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 30 minutes.
8. Test the pie by sticking a knife in the center of the filling.  If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done. If not, bake for another 5 minutes and test again.
9. Cool the pie on a wire rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature with fresh homemade whipped cream.

Served too much pie and got leftovers? Cover in a sealed tight cake container or tightly wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.