Chef notes
For years, I ate traditional pecan pie and was completely satisfied. I had no idea what I was missing until my dear friend Sarah brought this pie to our Thanksgiving dinner. I guarantee you will have a similar epiphany. The chocolate chips and bourbon are a lagniappe, a Louisiana term for a little extra surprise.
Technique tip: This recipe makes two pies to feed a crowd, but you can easily halve the recipe if you like.
Ingredients
- 1 14.1-ounce package refrigerated pie crusts
- 3 cups chopped toasted pecans
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups dark corn syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 8 eggs
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted
- 4 teaspoons plain white cornmeal
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 325°F.
2.Fit 1 piecrust into each of two 9-inch (23-cm) deep-dish pie dishes according to the package directions; fold the edges under and crimp. Sprinkle the pecans and chocolate chips evenly over the bottom of the crusts.
3.In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir together the corn syrup, granulated sugar, brown sugar and bourbon and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4.In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, cornmeal, vanilla and salt. Gradually whisk one-fourth of the hot corn syrup mixture into the egg mixture, then add it to the remaining corn syrup mixture in the pan, whisking constantly. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crusts, dividing evenly.
5.Bake until the filling is set, 55-60 minutes. Transfer the pies to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour, before serving.
