Maple Pecan Pie with Bourbon and Chocolate Chunks

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: African American, North American, Soul Food

Keyword: maple, pecan pie, pecans, pie

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1

Cooling Time: 30

Total Time: 1 40

Servings: 10" pie

Calories: 6770kcal

Use a quality bourbon (optional) and dark chocolate to cut the sweetness of the filling.

Prep time includes blind baking the pie shell.

Roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle and line your 10-inch pie tin with it. Flute the edges however you like.
Once your tin is filled, prick a few holes in the bottom of the pie dough with the tines of your fork, then place it into the fridge to firm up the butter in the dough.
After chilling the dough, cut a piece of parchment paper or foil out into a circle that's 2-inches larger than the pie plate.
Set the liner inside of the pie shell and pour ceramic pie weights or dried beans into the liner.
Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the pie shell from the oven and carefully lift out the liner with the weights in it. The top of the dough will be opaque since it's been covered.
Return the pie shell to the oven for another 10 minutes to bake the top until it looks flaky and slightly blistered. If there are really large bubbles, try to press them down with your fingertips or the back of a spoon.
Decrease the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).

Add the brown sugar, butter, salt, and ground cinnamon to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Use an electric hand mixer, on high speed, to beat these ingredients together for 3 minutes. Stopping the mixer to scrape down the bowl twice during mixing.
The mixture to look thick and light brown, almost like a chocolate mousse.
After 3 minutes, stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
Add the eggs to the bowl, one at a time, mixing each one in at medium-high speed until fully incorporated before adding the next egg. This will create a thick, foamy mixture.
Scrape down the bowl once again.
Add the maple syrup, bourbon, and vanilla extract to the bowl.
Blend these in at low speed until the mixture looks opaque and is thick like pudding.
Lastly, use a rubber spatula to fold in the chopped pecans and the chunks of chocolate.
Once all of the ingredients in the bowl are combined, pour the pecan pie filling into your blind-baked pie shell.
Decorate the top of your pie with a 1/2 cup of pecan halves.
Once the shell is filled, slide the pie into the preheated oven.
Bake the pecan pie for 35-40 minutes.

The pie is done when it no longer jiggles in the center, and the surface develops little cracks.
Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes before serving.
You can also allow it to cool completely and serve it at room temperature for up to two hours.

Replace the pecans with walnuts to make a maple walnut pie
Replace the maple syrup with dark corn syrup. It will no longer be a maple pecan pie.
Omit the bourbon and increase the amount of vanilla extract to 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters).

The fork holes help vent the dough while the chilling firms the butter in the dough. That way, as the pie bakes, it's strong enough to hold its shape, resulting in a flaky, beautiful crust.
Because store bought pie doughs are usually rolled thinner than homemade, decrease the blind baking time to 10 minutes. Five minutes per stage.
I recommend Basil Hayden's, Uncle Nearest, or Knob Creek bourbon for this recipe.
If the pie is runny after baking, and you followed the recipe exactly, your oven temp might be off. Just bake it for another 10-15 minutes, and it should set properly. If the pecan pie has the tiny cracks and no longer jiggles, and is still runny when you cut into it, it's most likely because it wasn't allowed to cool long enough. The pecan pie filling is gooey while it's super hot. Allow it to cool the full 30 minutes to give it time to set.
If you find the crust is growing too dark for your liking, you can lay a piece of aluminum foil lightly over the top of the pie. Don't press down or try to seal it.
Serve the Maple Pecan Pie on its own, a la mode (topped with a scoop of ice cream or frozen custard), or with a hard sauce, like the Coquito Toffee Sauce from this recipe.

Store this pie in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.
Bring to room temperature for 2 hours or heat it slightly in the microwave to enjoy warm.

To freeze unbaked Maple Pecan Pie:
1. Set the unbaked, decorated pie on a sheetpan and put the pan in the freezer.
2. Freeze the pie overnight, so the filling sets up as much as possible.
3. Once the pie is frozen, cover it in two layers of plastic film and a layer of aluminum foil.
4. Freeze the pie for up to two months.
5. Thaw the frozen pie overnight in the fridge and bake as instructed in the recipe above.
To freeze the Maple Pecan Pie after baking:
1. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
2. Freeze the pie until solid, unwrapped, then cover it in a couple of layers of plastic wrap and one layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
3. Freeze the pecan pie for up to two months.
4. Thaw the frozen pie in the fridge overnight, and allow it to warm up slightly on the countertop before slicing and serving.