Into the Kitchen: Bourbon Pecan Pie

The daffodils have bloomed, our grill is out on the porch and I'm ready to while away some hours gardening & baking. This weekend, I made my favorite pecan pie for the special occasion of having my future in-laws in town. What a wonderful time we had, and the pie--a complete bonus. The recipe below is one I've tweaked over the years, incorporating elements from multiple versions.

Filling
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup light Karo Syrup
3 large eggs, beaten
2 to 2 ½ pecan halves, according to taste
2 tablespoons good Bourbon

Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water or less

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Crust: Combine flour, sugar and salt in mixer bowl. Add butter pieces and slowly add water to combine. When crust looks like coarse meal, stop and knead by hand. Flatten into a disc and then roll out. Lay crust into a 9 inch pie pan. Freeze for at least 10 minutes.

Filling: Combine sugar and butter in a bowl; stir in syrup, eggs, pecans, and bourbon. Pour into unbaked pie shell; place on heavy-duty cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for an additional 25-35 minutes, or until pie is set (I usually press the center nuts to make sure). Remove from oven and allow to cool.

(Photo from epicurious)