This recipe is one of our favorite family traditions and we make it every year for Thanksgiving or Christmas (usually both!) All great pies start off with a great homemade pie crust. You can use a frozen store bought crust if you are short on time, but homemade ones are so much better.

Perfectly Flaky Pie Crust Recipe

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

The trick to making a great pie crust is to use good quality butter that is semi-frozen. Cut your butter into ½ inch cubes and put them in the freezer for at least an hour or overnight. Put flour, salt and sugar into large mixing bowl.  Add about half of the butter and ‘cut’ into the mixture using a pastry cutter or two sharp knives. This method is better than using your hands as the butter won’t soften up from your body heat. Add rest of butter and continue cutting until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-sized chunks of butter. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture begins to clump together when quickly squeezed in your hand.

Divide the mixture into two halves and gently work them into disc-shaped balls. Be careful to not over-knead the dough. Once they are shaped, stop kneading or the crust will become tough. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. Continue to sprinkle flour under the dough to keep it from sticking to your work surface. Gently place dough into (2) 9-inch pie pans and press down into the form of the pans. Use kitchen scissors or sharp knife to trim excess from the top of the pans. You are now ready to make the filling!

Bourbon-Pecan Pie Filling

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cup dark brown sugar
6 eggs
2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoon good bourbon (I like Blanton’s or Booker’s but any small  batch will do)
4 cups pecan halves, divided

Beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy and light. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla, salt, corn syrup, and bourbon. Arrange 1 cup pecans on the bottom of the pie shell. Pour pie filling over the pecans, then sprinkle remaining pecans over filling. Bake 55 to 60 minutes at 350° F.

Allow to cool a little and serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream of your choice.

This recipe makes two pies so feel free to share with the neighbors. (or not!) Enjoy!