Today, January 23, was declared in the mid 1980s, National Pie Day. I’ve put a pie in the oven in honor of that fact, and to take to a Pie Party I’ve been invited to. How does a Chocolate Pecan Bourbon pie sound? Something you’d like to try maybe?

Last year around this same date I threw a Pie Party and invited a few friends and neighbors. It went off so well that guests requested that we make it an annual event, with a different host each year. It’s a great way to entertain a lot of people without doing all that cooking.

Here’s a recipe for my pie in case you’d like to try it yourself. Remember, since it’s cooked, the bourbon “spirit” is evaporated in the cooking, so it’ll perfectly safe for the kiddies too.

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

3 eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 unbaked (9-inch) pastry shell

Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl until frothy. Add butter, beating well. Add syrup, sugar, bourbon, flour, and vanilla; beat well. Stir in pecans.

Sprinkle chocolate morsels in pastry shell. Pour pecan mixture over chocolate morsels. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour, or until set. Cool before slicing.

Sometimes reruns are as good as a day old pie, although with this pie you aren’t likely to have any leftovers. Here’s a look at my Pie Party (and post) from last year: Today is National Pie Day, a good day to treat your work colleagues with a pie for coffee break, or take a pie home to surprise your wife or hubby, significant other, or friends. Thanks to Mother Nature for holding off the snow dumping over Utah until very early Monday, so that our Sunday pie party could take place without incidence. Let’s see if I can remember the names of all most of the pies there:  Cauliflower with cheese in a potato/onion crust; Kolokithópita (zucchini & cheese); Spinach pie; Potato samosas & meat somosas (Indian pastries); American pizza; Cranberry/Sweet Potato; Apple/Caramel Creme; Apple-butter with whipped cream; Johnnie-on-the-Rum; Orange Julius; Pistachio Creme & Razzle Dazzle Berry. If this looks good to you, next year don’t forget to plan your own lazy-way-to-host pie party!