Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving has come and gone. I have so much to be grateful for this year. From my new business to my new home to my lovely family to my perfect dog to my super supportive and amazing boyfriend- goodness, 2016 has been great to me!! Blessed doesn't even cover it- but enough about me and more about pies. This thanksgiving I made a pie that has been raved about enough to be requested by a local Darien restaurant (yes, my desserts are served at a restaurant in Darien- yet another thing to be thankful for). So I figure this recipe is good enough to blog about! Enjoy this pie- it's so easy, especially if you cheat and use Trader Joe's pie crust- my fave since they use real butter in it. 

 

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie  

Fridge:

3 eggs 

5 tbs butter, melted 

Freezer:

Pie crust of your choice- I use Trader Joe's 

Pantry:

1 1/4 cup chopped pecans 

1 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips 

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

3/4 light brown sugar 

3 tbs cocoa powder 

2 tbs ap flour 

1 tbs instant espresso 

2 1/2 tbs Bourbon 

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 tsp salt 

Tools:

1 large bowl 

Whisk

Measuring cups/spoons 

10-inch pie dish 

Baking spatula 

Preheat oven to 335 degrees. I prefer it a little cooler than the usual 350 degrees for pies. 

Roll your dough and line your pie dish with it. Prick with a fork a few times on the bottom. 

In the large bowl- whisk the eggs. Add corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract, ap flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder and salt. Mix well. Add chocolate chips and pecans. Mix and pour into prepared pie dish. 

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes- if the crust begins to get too dark, cover the whole pie with tin foil. Continue baking until the crust is slightly firm- it will give a little after pressing- that's ok. It will firm up when cooling. Remove from oven and cool. Serve with homemade whipped cream. Enjoy!! 

 

 

Orange Cranberry Pecan Muffins

I always try to make some sort of bread or muffin that the kids can snack on all week and I try to make it healthy, but tasty and I will say that this muffin was a success this week! The kids enjoyed it and I must say I also did. Eating muffins warm out of the oven is just heavenly. It's nice to have homemade muffins/bread on the counter that you can grab on-the-go, especially with kids. To me- it makes much more sense to spend 10 minutes making a batter to throw in the oven than giving your kids store bought baked goods with ingredients you can't pronounce. It's really a no-brainer. And once you get the hang of making muffins/bread- you can make tons of varieties to mix it up and usually the base batter stays the same. It's simple and worth it! 

Orange Cranberry Pecan Muffins

Fridge:

1 egg

1/4 cup sour cream 

1/2 cup milk 

Counter:

1/2 tbs orange zest

1/4 cup orange juice, I squeezed mine fresh from the orange- hence this being in counter section 

Pantry:

1 3/4 cups ap flour 

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 

1/3 cup canola oil 

Canola oil spray or muffin liners 

Tools:

Large bowl

Medium bowl

Whisk

Spoon or ice cream scoop

Measuring cups/spoons 

Muffin tray 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tray with canola or baking spray. Or use liners. 

In the large bowl add flour, salt, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. 

In medium bowl whisk together the egg, sour cream, milk, canola oil, vanilla extract, orange zest and orange juice. Whisk well. 

Pour the liquid bowl into the dry bowl. Combine well and then add the cranberries and pecans. Mix and spoon batter into the muffin tray. Full 3/4 of the way up. Place tray into the oven and bake for 27-30 minutes or until the muffins are a golden color and firm but spongy to touch. 

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before enjoying one (or two) still warm! Xo