Growing up, it just wasn’t Thanksgiving without my mom’s pecan pie. Over the years, I’ve found that most people who say they dislike pecan pie have never really had one.
They’ve had Karo-syrup-and-egg-custard pie with a few pecans sprinkled on top. Ew, gross. (Honestly, I couldn’t even find a picture of a really proper pecan pie. I’ll have to switch this one out when I make mine.)
The secret to a great pecan pie is pecans all the way through. There’s some kind of life metaphor there, but I haven’t quite put my finger on it yet.
When I became the official Mama In Charge of Thanksgiving, I figured there was only one way to make pecan pie even better – put all the yummiest things in the world in it. I pulled together several recipes that included chocolate, or bourbon, or molasses, or some combination of them, and experimented until it really worked.
So, if you haven’t already done your Thanksgiving baking (or if you just haven’t eaten enough pie yet), here’s my recipe:
Chocolate Molasses Bourbon Pecan Pie
1 plain pie crust
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks3 large eggs
3/4 cup molasses or maple syrup (or a combination of the two)
1/4 cup bourbon
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup softened butter
1 tsp vanilla2 cups chopped pecans
(optional) pecan halves for decoratingPreheat oven to 350. Line pie pan with crust.
Sprinkle chocolate in an even layer on crust.All ingredients should be at room temperature.
Whisk eggs thoroughly, then add wet ingredients and mix until well
combined. Fold in chopped pecans.Fill pie pan. Decorate top as desired. Bake on a cookie sheet on bottom rack for 40-45
minutes.
Enjoy! After you eat you vegetables. And brush your teeth afterward. (I have to say it. I’m a Mama.)