Scenes from a Thanksgiving Supper: Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

What is a Thanksgiving meal without some fresh Pecan Pie? I like to add some chocolate and a splash of bourbon because, honestly, bourbon makes it better. Parker prefers me to use Maker's Mark, but any Kentucky bourbon will do. This was such a hit last year that my uncle gave up getting slice after slice and just sat down with the pie dish at the table. Y'all are going to want to save some of this for yourselves, so go ahead and make one for your uncle and one for you

Piecrust

makes two 9-inch crusts

Ingredients
1 ²⁄³ cups all-purpose flour mixed with ¾ tsp. kosher salt
²⁄³ cup lard
¾ tsp. white vinegar
1 small egg
Water

Preparation

Place flour and salt in bowl, and cut in lard until mixture resembles small peas. In a Pyrex measuring cup, combine vinegar and egg, and add water to make ¹⁄³ cup liquid. Slowly add liquid to the flour mixture, forming dough. Do not overwork. Remove from bowl, halve, and pat into disks. If not using immediately, cover in plastic wrap and chill.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Filling
fills one 9 inch pie crust

Ingredients
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups dark corn syrup
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 ½ tsp. all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. bourbon
1 ½ tbsp. sweet butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 ¾ cups pecans

Preparation

Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, set aside. Using a hand mixer, combine sugar, syrup, salt, flour, and eggs, mixing well. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour into unbaked pie shell.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes (a toothpick inserted in center should come out relatively clean). Remove from oven and place on cooling rack, allowing pie to rest for 2 to 3 hours to set.