Sweetie Pie and Cupcakes

Award Winning Bourbon Pecan Pie with Almond Crust

This year we entered a Bourbon Pecan Pie with Almond Crust into the KCRW Pie Contest and it won third place in the nut category. Learn how to make this yummy pecan pie from scratch and get tips about entering pie contests from Sweetie Pie and Cupcakes!

CourseDessert, Party Food
CuisineAmerican

Servings	Prep Time
8people	1hour

Cook Time	Passive Time
1hour	2hours

Servings	Prep Time
8people	1hour

Cook Time	Passive Time
1hour	2hours

Ingredients

1/2cup Brown Sugar
1/2cup Maple Syrup
1/2cup Karo Corn Syrup
2Tbsp ButterWe use Kerrygold Salted Butter
2Large Eggs
2Tbsp Jim Bean Bourbon
1tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1cup Chopped Pecans
1cup Halved Pecans
2Tbsp Butter to roast pecansWe use Kerrygold Salted Butter
1cup Almond Flour for pie crust
1 1/2cup All-Purpose Flour for pie crust
1tsp Sugar for pie crust
1/2tsp Salt for pie crust
16Tbsp Butter for pie crustOne block of Kerrygold Salted Butter
2Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar for pie crustChilled
5-6Tbsp Ice Water for pie crustChilled
1 Egg mixed with 2 Tbsp Water for pie crustFor Egg Wash
1tsp Sugar for pie crust decoration

Instructions

Chop butter into 1 inch chunks and freeze. Chill 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar and a cup of water in ice.
Combine Almond Flour, All-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add chunks of butter and chop in with a pastry cutter or knife leaving large chunks of butter.
Add apple cider vinegar to flour butter mixture. Chop in the apple cider vinegar until just combined.
Add a tablespoon of ice cold water at a time, about 5-6 tablespoons total until the dough is forming into a ball. Do not over mix, just combine until dry ingredients are coming together.
Separate the dough, one with 3/4 of the dough (this one will be your pie crust) and one with 1/4 of the dough (this one will be for making cut outs for the edge). Flatten them into 5-6 inch round discs. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for over 2 hours. Prepare the pecan mixtures while the dough sets up in the fridge.
Set oven to 250 degrees F. Add the 1 cup of chopped and 1 cup of halved pecan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dot with 2 tablespoons of butter. Roast 7-10 minutes max. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
While the pecans cool, create the sugar caramel type mixture over the stove. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add 1/2 cup maple syrup. Add 1/2 cup corn syrup and heat until bubbly. Remove from heat and allow to fully cool. It should taste like caramel.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of Bourbon, and 1 tsp Vanilla.
Grease a 9″ pie plate with butter. Flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Roll out the larger pie dough first. Use ice cold water around the edges to fix any parts that break. Also, keep adding flour underneath the dough so it doesn’t stick. Turn the dough a quarter turn as you expand it out to about 13-14″ wide. Use the pie plate as a guide to make sure the dough is large enough.
Either roll in onto the rolling pin and release it into your 9″ pie plate, or use a plastic sheet to scrape the dough up and slide it into the pie plate. Refrigerate the pie dough plate while you roll out the other dough and cut the designs for the edge of the pie crust. Use a leaf design or braid/twist the dough. Wait to place the design onto the edge for last.
Combine the egg mixture with the syrup mixture and lightly whisk together. Add the chopped pecans to this mixture (leaving out the halved pecan; we’ll use them for the top once the mixture is poured in).
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour the mixture into the pie dough plate. Place the halved pecans around the edge of the dough first. Then add the next row and the next row until you reach the center. Then simply fill in the center with a few pecans. Decorate the edge of the pie with the leaf cutouts or your braid/twist design.
Combine 1 egg 2 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash. Add egg wash with a paper towel or pastry brush. Sprinkle sugar on the decorated edge.
Place the pie on a baking sheet and place on center rack of oven. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. After the first 15-20 minutes, place a pie ring onto the edge to keep it from burning. You want to allow the edge to just start to turn a golden brown. Also, allow the pie to bake fully. The crust should turn a deep golden brown and if you use a clear pyrex pie plate, you can check underneath the pie to make sure it is starting to turn golden.
Remove the pie and allow it to cool. This pie can be stored with foil on top or in a container for a few days. Sometimes pie crust will moisten if covered while warm and it’s okay to let it sit out in open air to cool. If you refrigerate the pie and you want the crisp flaky crust again, place the pieces in a toaster oven and heat for a few minutes. Microwaving the pie will make it soggy. As a note, you can also bake a full pie in a really good toaster oven. Look for one that’s big enough to bake pie!

Recipe Notes

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