Recipe: Maple/Bourbon Pecan Pie

pec pie.jpg

There are some traditional holiday dishes that I find to be so delicious, I always wonder why they only make an appearance during their designated/respective month(s). Take, for instance, pecan pie: I’d much rather dig in to a slice of that versus something you see more often, say, like apple or pumpkin. And the same goes for potato latkes only being served at Hanukkah! What’s up with that? I’m going to make it a point to whip those babies up during all of the colder weather months (…which, in NYC, is like 3/4 of the year lol!).

I happened upon this intriguing “maple and bourbon pecan pie” recipe in the new Catskills Farm to Table Cookbook, and decided to make it for dessert post our Christmas Eve dinner. After all, how could anything with that trinity of deliciousness - maple, bourbon, and pecan - be bad? Plus, I was super curious about how the combination of toasted whole and non-toasted, coarsely-chopped pecans would taste and textually pair together.

Guys, this pie is dynamite! While the original recipe calls for a homemade crust, I got lazy and used one of those Pillsbury pre-made refrigerated ones. Oh, and I also crowned each slice with a dollop of bourbon-infused whipped cream. Because we loved this recipe so much, I just snagged another bag of pecans to make another pie this week!


Supplies/utensils needed for this recipe:

  • 9” pie pan

  • Cookie sheet

  • Foil or parchment paper

  • Mixing bowl

Ingredients:

Makes one pie/8-10 servings (…depending on how generous you feel about sharing!)

  • Pecans in the following measurements:

    • 1.5 cups toasted whole pecans (‘how to toast pecans’ below)

    • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

  • Refrigerated pie crust for 1 9” pie (I use this one)

  • 1/4 cup salted butter, melted

  • 1 cup brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup dark maple syrup

  • 1/2 cup dark corn syrup

  • 3 eggs, beaten

  • 3 tablespoons bourbon

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • Optional: bourbon-infused whipped cream

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

  2. On a foil or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, evenly spread out 1.5 cups of whole pecans. Toast in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

  3. Meanwhile, form pie crust into a 9” pan and set aside.

  4. On a cutting board, coarsely chop 3/4 cup of pecans.

  5. In a mixing bowl, combine the remainder of the ingredients. Add both the toasted and chopped pecans. Stir to fully incorporate all ingredients.

  6. Pour filling into the crust and bake at 45-minutes, or until the middle is set.

  7. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

  8. Optional: enjoy with a dollop of bourbon-infused whipped cream!

Pecan pie.jpg

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle