Maple-Bourbon Pecan Pie

My dad's birthday was Sunday, and birthday cakes just don't fly with him. He'll eat them, but he never request them. Instead, you better be pulling out that pecan pie recipe. (Side note: how do you pronounce "pecan"?  In the Midwest, it's pronounced "pe-cahn." In the South, it's "pee-can" or else. I generally go with the latter, despite my upbringing.)

But ugh, pecan pies can be so boring if you're not careful, and making the same things over and over again can drive a girl crazy. But, it was his birthday, and on his birthday, things have to stay the same...with a few amped up modifications, of course!

Enter: bourbon. I love baking with bourbon. I don't like drinking it, but I LOVE the taste of it. It adds a richness, and a bit of sweet vanilla-smokiness that always takes things to the next level. Have you ever tried making vanilla extract with bourbon? Or how about bourbon caramels? I have to tell you, I can never make either any other way again.

Not only is bourbon a key component to this new pie, but there's also the addition of a little maple syrup. It's not a large amount, and it definitely doesn't stand out quite as boldly as the bourbon, but it has a very special place: it helps add more depth, and more complexity. Maple syrup is quite subtly-smoky, and so rich. When you add that subtle hint of smokiness, and mix it with the vanilla and oak notes that the bourbon brings, you've got a very flavorful partnership.

This whole pie works. IT JUST WORKS. The pie crust is flaky and soooo buttery, the pecans are crisp, and add that satisfying crunch, and that maple-bourbon combination? Just out of this world. Dad loved it (perhaps more than the traditional?), and was throughly sad to see an empty pie plate once again, a mere three days later. We were all sad to see it go, really.

So, OK, it's time to come clean: this pie was an experiment. I knew maple and bourbon would get along famously with the rest of the ingredients, but I was a bit nervous about the measurement modifications. When the expectation after dinner is to be served a slice of something you've grown to love just the way it is, deviations can be tricky. Perhaps this recipe was the real deal, or perhaps I got real  lucky. Either way, it'll take a few more test drives in the ol' test kitchen before it finds itself on DD. 

BUT, I'd never leave you hanging.. Here are some excellent recipes to try in the meantime:

Martha Stewart's Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie 

This simple Bourbon Pecan Pie (with an option to add a teaspoon or two of maple syrup) from Garden and Gun Magazine

OR how about this one from Epicurious?

Whichever you choose, know that I'll be right there next to you in spirit, with a fork in my hand ready to dig in.

Making My Dad's Favorite: Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving is all about tradition, whether it be old or new. And while I was planning on starting a new tradition at my house (one that included delicious pumpkin pie because there is literally nothing better in this entire world), I was overruled by a standing pie tradition: Southern-style Pecan Pie.

Apparently it's been a staple at our table since I was born, but I never noticed because my grandmothers have been making stellar sweet potato pies, and caramel pies with homemade icings for as long as I can remember. But this year, I spent Thanksgiving with just my immediate family in Wisconsin, and there could only be room for one dessert. And while I was hoping that dessert would be delicious, fall-appropriate pumpkin pie, a dad that only periodically ventured into the kitchen (probably to stay out of the crossfire of my mother and I both being in the kitchen), had other plans. But it's fine, because  when you love to bake, it doesn't always really matter what it is.

And anyway, I was just happy that I:

1) Finally got to contribute to the Thanksgiving Meal

2) Got to practice my pie-making skills!

Fact: a homemade pie crust always tastes better. It just does. Store-bought pie crusts are okay, but there is just no comparison when you taste the love (and butter!!!) that goes into a crust made especially for that pie, completely from scratch. And I have to say: for this being only the third time that I've made the pie crust, things went pretty smoothly.

Joy the Baker first taught me how to make a pie crust (and my first pie). Instead of rolling out the dough, she uses a "press-in" technique where she presses the dough into the pie plate. It's incredibly easy, and eliminates a few steps. But in the rest of my pie cookbooks, it's essential that you roll out the dough, then use the rolling pin as a tool to get it into the pie plate. And you know, the people on Food Network always make it look so insanely easy. Like, the dough always perfectly rolls up onto the rolling pin, and they simply and gracefully place the delicate crust into the plate. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's not that easy, I dropped the pie crust into the plate very ungracefully, and I actually had to flip a section of it that refused to stay on its side of the plate. But I made it without having to take it out and re-roll it, and all was well in the kitchen.

This time around, I even got to take a stab at decorating the crust, something I hadn't tried before. And I loved it! Sure, the balls were all different sizes, and I left fingerprints in the dough, but isn't that what makes homemade crusts charming? Store-bought crusts lack a certain something, and I think that something is charm and character. Maybe even a little personality. That pie crust is totally unique, and I never, ever, will buy a store-bought crust again.

Okay, apparently this post has turned into a love letter for homemade pie crusts...sorry, I'm not sorry.

Pecan Pie is actually really easy to make. You just mix the butter and the sugar together, then literally throw the rest of the ingredients in the mixing bowl, and you're done.

And this pie was a big hit, if I do say so myself.

PECAN PIE:

What You'll Need:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon  flour
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust (Preferably homemade!)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

-Cream sugar and butter

-Add remaining ingredients

-Bake for 40 minutes

Each recipe serves 6-8 people

SOURCE: Recipes from Miss Daisy's

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday, and that you're recovering from your food comas well!!