Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie

First prepare the crust. Set up a food processor and combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in its bowl. Pulse it all together a couple of times to aerate the dry ingredients. Add the butter and pulse it a few more times until it resembles pebbly sand. Pour in the bourbon and egg last and pulse it a few more times just until the dough starts to come together. Do not let it turn into a ball in the processor. Turn it out of the processor and bring it into a ball by hand. Then press it out into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill it for an hour in the refrigerator.

Get out a 9-inch pie dish and spray it well with cooking spray, especially around the rim. Take the chilled pie dough and turn it out onto a clean, floured surface. Roll it out to be a thin circle that is about 10-11 inches in diameter and transfer it into the pie dish. Press it into the dish firmly and also around the rim. Trim off any excess, then use a fork to make the pretty, signature tine marks around the edge. Put the pie crust in the freezer to chill again for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400ºF when the chilling time is almost up. Take the pie crust out and line it with aluminum foil. Fill it with either dry beans or pie weights to keep it from puffing up or collapsing while blind baking. Bake the crust for 20 minutes, then take it out and remove the foil with the weights. Put it back in to bake for another 10 minutes to allow the bottom to get more crisp. Take it out when it is done and set it aside. Reduce the heat to 350.

While the crust bakes, prepare the filling. Cook the bacon either in a skillet or in the oven until it is cooked through and crispy. Crumble it up finely and set it aside. Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Stirring constantly, let it boil for 1–2 minutes so that it thickens. Take the pan off of the heat and stir in the pecans, bacon, bourbon and vanilla. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the beaten eggs.

Pour the filling into the crust and place it onto a sheet tray to make it easier to take in and out of the oven. Let the pie bake for 40–45 minutes, until set but the center is still a little loose. Let the pie cool for 15–20 minutes at least, then slice and serve with whipped cream or ice cream! It’s perfect for the holidays.