Substitute rum or brandy for the bourbon.I believe that the first responsibility of any dessert is to contain at least some chocolate, and this pie is almost like eating a candy bar. It combines chocolate with crunchy pecans and mellow caramel.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Active time: 20 minutes
Start to finish: 13/4 hours, including time to cool
11/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup bourbon
2 large eggs
1 cup pecan halves, toasted at 350°F for 5 minutes
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell made from Basic Gluten-Free Piecrust
1. Combine sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until liquid is golden brown and caramelized. Turn off the heat and add cream slowly, stirring with a long-handled spoon; it will bubble up at first. Once cream has been added, cook the caramel over low heat for 2 minutes. Strain the mixture into a mixing bowl and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
3. Beat butter, bourbon, and eggs into caramel and whisk until smooth. Stir in pecans. Spread melted chocolate in bottom of pie shell and pour pecan filling over it. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Allow pie to cool on a wire rack until room temperature.
Note: The pie can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
Variations
Substitute rum or brandy for the bourbon.
Substitute walnuts, almonds, or pine nuts for the pecans.
Caramelizing sugar is not difficult, but one pitfall is allowing the sugar to actually reach dark brown before removing the pan from the heat. The liquid and pot are very hot by the time the sugar starts to color, so take the pan off the heat when the syrup is a medium brown; it will continue to cook.