Ina Garten’s Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie: Perfection
There’s no real reason to tamper with perfection. And Ina Garten’s recipe for Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie can’t be beat. It’s the kind of pie that you serve for dessert to great fanfare. Then, soon afterwards, you find people in the kitchen slicing off thin slivers to eat straight from the pie plate. This was the scene at our house this Thanksgiving.
Simplicity can be the best sauce
Besides her amazing recipes, part of what’s made Ina Garten such a phenom, is her proud proclamation that there’s no need for everything to be homemade. A kind of pick-your-shots approach to whatever you feel like making, whatever you’re good at making, and whatever subs you can purchase.
Ina’s casual approach came on the heels of the Martha Stewart trend where everything she made was homemade. So homemade that Martha could easily intimidate many from actually making her recipes. For many, she was more aspirational than practical. (I still remember her spun sugar episode, where she and a helper used broomsticks to ‘pull’ the sugar. But that’s another story.)
Simplicity really does have its allure. And this is one of the easiest pies you’ll ever pull together.
Simple and tasting simple are two different things
The other beauty of this pie is although it can be in the oven in about 20 minutes, it doesn’t taste that way. The layering of the bourbon, chocolate and pecans gives it a depth of flavor that goes way beyond 20-minutes of prep. She doesn’t even suggest toasting the pecans first. As a lover of pecan pie, I can attest that I have never not toasted the pecans first. I’m a firm believer the toasting deepens the flavor and the crunch, both important elements in a pecan pie. But no need here.
The second welcome surprise is she recommends using a ‘store-bought frozen pie crust.’ Now, I am not a crust-lover. In fact, I nearly always leave the top edge of the crust behind when I eat pie. This helps me convince myself I’ve saved many calories, maybe even enough to justify a second slice. But I also come from a long-line of ‘homemade-only crust bakers.’ So, I absolutely love her for this.
The only thing I’d do differently
Ina suggests ‘good vanilla ice cream, such as Haagen-Dazs, for serving.’ I’m sure this is amazing. However, ice cream is not something I want to deal with at the end of a meal. I’ve found that whipped cream with a hit of vanilla and a sprinkle of powdered sugar, whipped to lightly stiff peaks keeps well enough in the refrigerator to make ahead. This is the power of true simplicity.
Whether you’re an Ina-purist and choose the ice cream, or go with whipped cream, you can’t go wrong. I also have the attestation of the ‘pie-sneakers’ who snuck slivers after dinner that this pie is absolutely amazing served naked.
Ina Garten’s Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- kosher salt
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2-1/2 Tbsp good bourbon, such as Maker's Mark
- 1-1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips, such as Nestle's
- 1 cup whole pecans, large-diced
- 1 9-inch store-bought frozen pie crust
- Good vanilla ice cream, such as Haagen-Dazs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° Place an oven rack in the center of the oven.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and 1 tsp. salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, vanilla, and bourbon. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.
- Place the pie crust on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Crimp the edge with a floured fork, pour the filling into the pie crust, and smooth the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes on the prepared rack until the filling is evenly golden brown on top and as firm in the middle as it is at the edges.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve in wedges with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Note: Defrost frozen pie crust in the refrigerator overnight.
