Baby, Don't You Cry. Let's Make A Pie.

Hello my little buckaroos! Did anyone take the opportunity to celebrate National Pie Day today? Oh yes, it's a real holiday! And one that I can get behind, let me tell you. And no doubt, it's holidays such as this one that have also added to my actual behind too. But what can make a person forget about that spare junk in the trunk? That's right, buckaroos! Whiskey!

Oh don't worry. I'm not lushing it up. I made a whiskey pie! This year's celebratory pie was the Jack Daniels Whiskey, Chocolate and Pecan Pie. Oh yes, the holy trifecta of feel-good ingredients.

We here in the South are crazy about our Jack Daniels and our pecans. And if you add chocolate, then well howdy...Heaven.

If you want to add it to your recipe box, here's how it's done, hon!



First The Ingredients:



3 jumbo eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, completely melted
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup Jack Daniels Whiskey
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup whole pecans
1 (10-inch) unbaked, frozen pie crust (or freshly made if so inclined)



Let's Make A Pie!

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla extract and Jack Daniels until very well combined.

3. Sprinkle chocolate chips over bottom of unbaked pie crust. Add a few more if you like.

4. Cover with pecans.





5. Pour filling over all.



6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted halfway between the center and the edge comes out clean.

7. Let set at least 30 minutes before serving.





You've Got Pie!





Notes:

* Some versions of this recipe say to strain the liquid mixture before pouring into your pie.

* I once made this pie for the Mister's family and forgot to lightly beat the eggs before adding them. Guess what I got? A wonderful pie with scrambled eggs mixed in. No joke. So, beat those eggs now!

* You might have a little filling left over. Don't let it spook you. And for pete's sake...don't drink it. Trust me. Though, if you dab a little behind your ears, it drives them wild.

* If you want your Karo syrup to come out of your measuring cup easier, spray the cup with a little nonstick spray.

* You're going to want to bake it until it's no longer runny. This may take a little more time than noted. If you do have to remove it while it's still a little runny, just pop it into the fridge for a while and it will congeal more.

* This pie should be kept in the refrigerator but a quick zap of a piece in the microwave will get the molten pie love flowing before eating. And I highly recommend it with ice cream!


I'd like to give a little shout-out to my sous chef, Pip who always spends time in the kitchen with me when I cook. She used to scratch on the cabinets to get my attention while I cooked until one day, I pulled up a stool and put her on it. Now, she always goes there and politely watches me cook. We had a big health scare with her this week and it made me really happy to have her back by my side today.






It's Pip!


Oh, and strange thing about Pip - even though she was spayed as a kitten, when the dishwasher is running, it sends her into some kind of mock heat. She rolls around in front of it and tries to get it to mate with her.



The heart wants what the heart wants.


Well, buckaroos...I think I'll ramble off to the kitchen now and have some more of that pie and see National Pie Day out in style. And I might just turn that dishwasher on for Pip to celebrate both the holiday and her return to good health.

I'll leave you with this lovely flashback morsel. I hope that one of these days, I'll own this game and can incorporate it into National Pie Day.







Until next time (may all of your pies be a la mode),
x's and o's,
Eartha