Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie

Tips from a professional pastry chef: I've been making this pie since it came out in the 1999 issue of her magazine. It is hands down the most delicious pecan pie recipe in the world. The only addition I make is about 1/4 tsp of salt. Pecan pie is very sweet and you need a hint of salt to balance it. When making a pie, you always want to start with a homemade *crust* frozen. It allows the layers to set so you get delicious flakey layers like a croissant. If you're using a store-bought crust, there's no reason to chill it because they're made with oil and don't have layers. It's a terrible idea to chill a *filled* pie before baking because it makes it nearly impossible to get an even set across the filling. It tends to overcook on the outside while not yet set in the center. Also, since every refrigerator is set to a different temp and people don't always chill for the same amount of time, results can very wildly. The only reason she chills the whole pie before baking is because of the decorative leaves on the rim. It's hard to get them on just right if the pie shell is unfilled, plus they get soft so they have to be chilled before baking. It's cute but a total unnecessary hassle. Do yourself a favor and skip the leaves, freeze the pie crust while making the *room temperature* filling, then reduce the baking time. The unchilled pie should be baked at 400F for 15 mins, then reduced to 350F and bake for another 50-55 mins. If you really want to add the leaves, the baking time are the same as above, but freeze the leaves on a flat tray for about 20 minutes while the crust is also freezing. Working quickly, adhere the frozen leaves to the frozen pie crust then freeze the whole thing for another 15 minutes. Fill the frozen crust and bake same as above.

This is my go to pie recipe. I make it every year for Thanksgiving and often for Christmas too. If I didn't make it, my family would protest! I use rum instead of bourbon because the first time, that's all I had on hand and now everyone expects it, though one of these days, I'm gonna just make it for the heck of it and use bourbon. It's super easy and so very tasty! I've never noticed a need to increase cooking time either.

This was absolutely the most delicious pecan pie and it was a HIT! I was extremely nervous as I am not a baker but everything from the Pate Brisee to the filling was so delicious and perfect! This takes time to make between patience and actual baking but it is worth every moment! I did read the other comments and as mentioned before the baking time did take approximately 10-12 minutes longer than the 90 minutes at 350.

It was delicious !

I am a pastry chef and the measurements of this recipe are off. When I mixed the filling it seemed too lose with too little pecans. I baked it anyway, trusting Martha, and it never set. Needless to say, something is off. Her pate brisee is great but her filling measurements are wrong.

This is the most delicious pecan pie I've ever tasted. The first year I was in charge of the pecan pies, I made both this one and "Pecan Pie with Mrs. Kostyra" to see which recipe I liked better. Everyone at our large family Thanksgiving dinner preferred the Maple Bourbon one. One word of caution: The first time I made this, it came out perfect, but the second time I had a hard time getting the filling to "set." I think it is because I used a less viscous maple syrup the second year.

eball14 - i make this every year for thanksgiving, and i personally have to often cook it an EXTRA 5 or 10 minutes to get the knife tip to come out clean. and that's in 2 different ovens in 2 different apartments...

I've just tried making this and haven't eaten it yet but I think something went wrong. I did the 15 minutes at 400, then reduced it, and with about 35 minutes left, there was liquid all over the baking tray, the top looked too dark, and so I took it out! I'm hoping it will still taste nice, but I followed this recipe to a tee. Did others find you had to cook it shorter is my oven hotter than most?! I do think I'll try it again but will definitely keep a better eye on it.

I made a small error and was rewarded: I placed the remaining pecans on top of the partially-baked pie after 20 minutes of baking had passed , rather than place them on top of the unbaked filling (I simply forgot to do it earlier). This exposed the pecans to direct heat as they sat firmly on top of the partially baked shell, and resulted in an almost-burned condition when the pie was removed. This almost-burnt flavor added some complexity.

I made a small error and was rewarded: I placed the remaining pecans on top of the partially-baked pie after 20 minutes of baking had passed , rather than place them on top of the unbaked filling (I simply forgot to do it earlier). This exposed the pecans to direct heat as they sat firmly on top of the partially baked shell, and resulted in an almost-burned condition when the pie was removed. This almost-burnt flavor added some complexity.

Dah-licious! I didn't have any bourbon in my pantry so I used plain ole wiskey. Marvelous. I poured a glass for myself and well, the whole pie was just that much more fun to make! The maple syrup adds an additional flavor that makes this pie a fattening joy to eat