bourbon pecan pie brownies

Does combining a traditional Thanksgiving dessert with chocolaty brownie goodness make it the ultimate dessert?  Yes.  Yes it does.  I promise everyone will love these brownies... they're that good. And if there are any doubters, just tell them there's bourbon in it.  For some reason, alcohol usually gets people to want to try something they were otherwise unsure of.

I, for one, love pecan pie.  So when I saw this recipe on Jessica's blog, I knew I had to try it.  The bottom layer is a rich, super chocolaty, fudgy brownie.  The brownie is finished with a pecan pie-like topping spiked with a little bourbon.  Then I drizzled a little dark chocolate on top.  Did I already mention how good these are?

Side note: I am not a fan of bourbon.  I actually gagged a little when I opened the bottle.  But that also could have been because I was making these at 8:30 in the morning.  However!  The bourbon works really well in the pecan pie topping.  So even if you don't like bourbon, I'm proof that you can still like these.  :)  Definitely feel free to leave it out though.

Making these reminded me of baking with my mom when I was growing up (and not because of the bourbon).  Whenever my mom would make anything with pecans, I was the designated pecan chopper and I took my job very seriously.  I would chop one pecan at a time, halving it and then chopping them into little pieces. They were the most uniformly chopped pecans I have ever seen.  Looking back, it probably drove my mom crazy.  And I wish I could say that this happened when I was young, but I totally did this into high school.  So I have some OCD tendencies.  What?  Anyways, I still like chopping pecans by hand, so that's what I did for these, but applying more of a "rustic" chop.

I think these would be an awesome Thanksgiving dessert as a spin on a classic.  I hope you'll give them a try & I hope y'all enjoy them as much as I did!

Bourbon Pecan Pie Brownies
makes about 15 brownies
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Ingredients:

For the Brownies:
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour

For the Pecan Pie Topping:
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-2 tablespoons bourbon
2 cups chopped pecans

For the Chocolate Drizzle:
1/4 cup (2 ounces) chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet)

Directions:
For the Brownies:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 6 x 10 baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla; set aside.

Add butter, cocoa, sugar and salt to a large heatproof bowl.  Place bowl on top of a saucepan filled with water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.  Heat the mixture over simmering water, stirring until the butter is melted and the cocoa is incorporated (about 10 minutes).

Remove the bowl from heat and slowly whisk in the egg mixture until combined.  Add the flour and whisk until combined and the batter is smooth.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and maintain oven temperature.  Let brownies cool.

For the Pecan Pie Topping:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the corn syrup and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl as needed.  Mix in the vanilla.  Add in the butter and bourbon, beating until combined.  Fold in chopped pecans with a rubber spatula.

Pour pecan pie topping over cooled brownies.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the pecan pie topping is set.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.  

For the Chocolate Drizzle:
Place chocolate chips in a ziploc bag. Microwave for 30 seconds. If not completely melted, microwave at 5 second intervals until melted.

Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag.  Drizzle chocolate on top of brownies.

Chill brownies in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours prior to cutting and serving.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.  

*NOTES:
- Since I never have bourbon, I just bought a tiny bottle (1.7 ounces) from the liquor store.
- Feel free to omit the bourbon from the pecan pie topping.
- Lightly toast the pecans before chopping to enhance the pecan flavor.  This is especially useful for pecans that were stored in the freezer or refrigerator.
- I did not wait until the brownies were completely cool before adding the pecan pie topping and baking.  They were fine.
- However, I highly recommend chilling the pecan pie brownies for at least 2 hours prior to cutting.

Source: adapted from How Sweet It Is