In 50 years when people ask where my obsession with Bourbon started, I can point to this Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Tart as the culprit. Apparently I’m a little late to the party, but I don’t care how long it took for me to show up, I’m just super happy to be here!
This Southern Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Tart seemed to cry out for a Country music soundtrack. We all deserve a personal theme song, right?
The good news for this tart is that my husband is out of town this week, which means only one thing…
I blast music while I cook. Many apologies to my neighbors.
But not just any music. Country music. My Husband loathes it but I love baking to Country. Love it.
It makes me want to sing at the top of my lungs (reason 2 the Husband must be out of town!) and dance around like an imbecile in the kitchen (reason number 3). It also makes me smile.
And washing dishes seems less arduous. Very important.
Indulge me in a small diversion down a Country Memory Lane:
{Feel free to skip down to the part about this stupendous tart…I don’t mind. :-)}
Country burst in my life when I was 6 years old as the preferred music genre of my Nanny. Her favorite song at the time was “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” by Brooks N Dunn and it remains one of my favorites to this day. Probably because it reminds me of her. She is wonderful.
My other perennial favorite is Trisha Yearwood’s “She’s In Love with the Boy.” I remember listening to this song with my Dad when we lived in Cleveland. I can still listen to it on repeat to this day. [Warning: this song can only be sung at the top of your lungs.]
Then Country popped up again in Middle School when my best friend introduced me to The Dixie Chicks. She probably doesn’t even remember. “Some Days You Gotta Dance”. True that.
And then I went to Wake Forest in North Carolina where I finished my well-rounded Country Music Education. No Southern frat party would be complete without a smattering of Country…
These days Country just feels like a part of me.
[That sounds like a Country song…Maybe I missed my calling ;-)]
Anyways, you’re here for the food! Back to this ridiculously amazing Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Tart!
This recipe is from The Southern Heritage Pies and Pastry Cookbook (1984) that I was raving about after I made the best Sweet Potato Pie. My newest favorite cookbook did not disappoint.
This Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Tart is AMAZING.
After you crunch through the perfect layer of chopped pecans there is the silkiest filling with the perfect hit of Bourbon followed by semi-sweet chocolate. And because I was in the mood for mini tarts (Because they are adorable! Do I need another reason?), I baked this already sweet, sassy pie in a pâte sucrée.
{I’ll give you a moment to collect yourself…I certainly need one.}
Pâte sucrée is a sweet, rich pastry that is used in dessert tarts. If you haven’t tried it, it will change your life. No exaggeration. And this one tasted just as good (if not better) as any I had on my honeymoon in Paris. Yup this one right here.
There is just the right amount of Bourbon in this tart: enough that you are struck by the fabulous, distinctive taste, but not so much that you feel like you just had a shot. {Blech} This is definitely one of those recipes that demands the best Kentucky Bourbon you can find. You’ll taste the difference. Trust me.
And because this is already the longest post EVER, I figured, “What’s one more picture?”
This picture just cracked me up. That’s Mini, my butter-loving feline, investigating.
This Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Tart, baked in a traditional pâte sucrée, has the silkiest filling with the perfect hit of Bourbon and chocolate.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons Bourbon
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup semi-sweet morsels (I used Ghirardelli mini’s)
- 1 unbaked pastry shell (my favorite here) or pâte sucrée (recipe below)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, chilled and cut in pieces
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup half-and-half
Instructions
- Combine flour, sugar and salt in a small mixing bowl.
- Cut butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives until it resembles coarse meal.
- Combine egg yolks and half-and-half, whisking to incorporate.
- Add egg mixture to the flour mixture; stir with a fork until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Shape dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and refrigerate 2 hours to overnight.
- Roll out dough to slightly less then ¼ inch thick.
- For one large tart, place pastry over tart pan and gently press pastry down to the bottom and into each groove. To remove excess pastry cleanly, roll a rolling pin over the top and it will cut the dough off neatly.
- For twelve 10 cm tarts roll out the dough as above but use a 4 inch biscuit cutter to cut the rounds. You may need to reroll the excess. Press into individual tarts as above. The rolling pin will not be needed because the 4 inch circle fits them perfectly.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Add syrup, sugar, bourbon, flour and vanilla to a medium bowl. No need to mix. Set aside.
- Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl until frothy. Add butter, beating well.
- Add the syrup mixture; beat well. Stir in the pecans.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips into the bottom of the pastry.
- Pour pecan mixture over chocolate morsels to just under the top of the pastry.
- Bake for 1 hour or until set. My mini tarts baked for 30 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes:
You can easily make this recipe using a traditional piecrust in a pie pan (Excellent recipe here). It will yield one 9-inch pie. Both recipes are from The Southern Heritage Pies and Pastry Cookbook, 1984
9 Comments
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
February 25, 2014 at 7:51 pmMusic def. makes washing dishes more bearable!! I love the pretty, classic, yumminess of these tarts! annnnd there’s chocolate. perfection
AmericanCooking22
February 26, 2014 at 9:58 amThanks, Kayle! They are to die for!
Liz
February 26, 2014 at 7:07 pmThese are the times I’m mad at the hubby for not liking nuts. I’ll just have to make these scrumptious tarts for my girlfriends 🙂
AmericanCooking22
February 26, 2014 at 7:17 pm{Gasp!} How awful for you! These would be a fabulous Girls Night dessert. Bourbon, chocolate, pate sucree!:-)
dina
March 1, 2014 at 4:12 pmthat looks amazing!
AmericanCooking22
March 1, 2014 at 7:18 pmThanks, Dina!!!
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Sophie
December 13, 2014 at 10:39 amI made your divine mini pies & loved it so much! I used cognac!
AmericanCooking22
December 13, 2014 at 11:23 pmI’m so glad Sophie! Cognac would be great!