Bourbon Pecan Pie

I had never tasted a pecan pie before making this recipe. Why on earth, then, would I make one and take it to a Thanksgiving dinner? Because I am nuts (yep, I just did that), I have always loved the aesthetic of this pie (isn't he handsome?!), and because pecans are my absolute favorite...oh yea, and there's bourbon in it. I had no idea what the consistency was supposed to be, or if it was cooked under the top/able to be sliced without falling apart. Unfortunately there was only one way to find out, so my pie arrived to the gathering one slice short. Still unsure, I took it and hoped for the best. Everyone ate it, and no one died, and I really enjoyed it. This pie is gooey and nutty and surprisingly not sickeningly sweet. The only thing I would definitely do differently next time is to lightly pre-bake the crust, as like I previously noted, the pie is on the gooey side and mine suffered from a soggy bottom. Also, toasting the nuts a little beforehand definitely couldn't hurt, either.

Bourbon Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Pre-baked pate brisee pie shell
2 1/2 cups pecan halves
4 large eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Finely chop 1 1/4 cups pecans and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together. Add corn syrups, butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt and whisk until well combined. Stir in chopped pecans and pour into pre-baked crust.
Place remaining (unbroken) 1 1/4 cups pecan halves in circular pattern over the top of pie. Bake until crust is golden, filling is semi-firm, and a skewer comes out clean- approx 50 to 55 minutes.

Adapted from: Martha Stewart