Recipe: Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Yields: 1 (11-inch) pie (12 servings)

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
1 cup light corn syrup
3 large eggs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup bourbon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, grated
2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup pecan halves

Make the dough: Place the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse until combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle in 3 to 6 tablespoons ice water and pulse until a dough just begins to form. Gather the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill until firm -- about 45 minutes. Blind-bake the crust: Preheat oven to 400 F. Roll out the dough to a 13-inch circle, place into an 11-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes, remove weights and bake for 5 more minutes.

Make the pie filling: Lower oven setting to 350 F. Combine the corn syrup, remaining sugar, eggs, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla and remaining salt in a large bowl and set aside. Sprinkle the chocolate and chopped nuts over the bottom of the pie shell and pour the egg-vanilla mixture on top. Place the pecan halves in a decorative pattern on top of the filled pie and bake until golden and set -- about 45 minutes. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for 90 minutes. Pie will keep covered for up to 3 days.