derby

Delectable Derby Pie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Delectable Derby Pie!  The race may be over, but this slice of pie is a champion all year long. The spirit is kept alive in a southern tradition of semi-sweet chocolate, Kentucky bourbon, and crunchy pecans.  Top it off with a dollop of whipped cream and you can find yourself cheering for this triple crown winner. 

DELECTABLE DERBY PIE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter 

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup white Karo syrup 

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 10″ unbaked deep dish pie shell

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter while gradually adding sugar. Add beaten eggs, Karo syrup, salt, flour, and vanilla. Add chocolate chips, nuts, and bourbon. Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until set. Serve warm garnished with whipped cream. 

*TIP: Do not overfill pie crust. Extra filling may be baked in a ramekin for sampling later. 

Derby Pie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Symphony of Flavors: Derby Pie! Chocolate, nuts, and bourbon…..oh my! Not everyone gets excited about desserts infused with a little bourbon. I find the hints of caramel slightly smoky with the crunch of nuts simply irresistible. For those who aren’t sure, the alcohol in the bourbon bakes off naturally, leaving behind a restaurant-worthy gourmet treat. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. I’m told in the right circumstance, some cooks even garnish it with a sprig of fresh mint. Go Horse! 

DERBY PIE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

3/4 cup white corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate bits 

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

2 tablespoons bourbon

10” unbaked pie shell

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Spray the pie plate with nonstick oil. Form the pie crust into the pie plate. Set aside. Cream butter while gradually adding the sugar. Mix well. Add eggs, white corn syrup, sea salt, flour, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined. Fold in chocolate bits, chopped walnuts, and bourbon. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until set. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired. Serve. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter D

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Delectable Derby Pie! The race may be over, but this slice of pie is a champion all year long. The spirit is kept alive in a southern tradition of semi-sweet chocolate, Kentucky bourbon, and crunchy pecans. Top it off with a dollop of whipped cream and you can find yourself cheering for this triple crown winner. 
DELECTABLE DERBY PIE
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter 

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup white Karo syrup 

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 10″ unbaked deep dish pie shell
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter while gradually adding sugar. Add beaten eggs, Karo syrup, salt, flour, and vanilla. Add chocolate chips, nuts, and bourbon. Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until set. Serve warm garnished with whipped cream. 
*TIP: Do not overfill pie crust. Extra filling may be baked in a ramekin for sampling later. 

Get Your Daily Double

The Mint Julep has got to be the greatest afternoon drink south of the Mason-Dixon Line, next to its nonalcoholic partner, Sweet Tea. Anyone who has ever heard of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby appreciates this smooth concoction of bourbon whiskey, sugar, mint, water, and ice. Derby Day is traditionally celebrated the first Saturday in May, as the Earth announces the arrival of mint. And if you’ve ever planted this herb, you already know it must be contained or it will overpower everything within its reach. Hence the reason for consuming this signature drink in a frosty chilled highball glass. Crowd control. Now that’s what I call Southern hospitality! 
MINT JULEP 
Ingredients:

4 mint leaves

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons water

Cracked Ice

2 ounces Bourbon whiskey

Splash of sparkling water

Mint sprigs
Instructions:

In a chilled highball glass, gently muddle mint leaves. Add sugar and water. Stir to combine. Fill the glass with cracked ice. Add Bourbon whiskey and stir well; it keeps the glass frosted. Top off with sparkling water. Garnish with a mint sprig. 

The Mint Julep 

THE MINT JULEP

“Then comes the zenith of man’s pleasure.

Then comes the julep ­­– the mint julep.
Who has not tasted one has lived in vain.

…Then when it is made, sip it slowly.
August suns are shining,
the breath of the south wind is upon you.
It is fragrant, cold and sweet – it is seductive.
No maiden’s kiss is tenderer or more refreshing,
no maiden’s touch could be more passionate.
Sip it and dream – you cannot dream amiss.
Sip it and dream – it is a dream itself.”

~ 19th Century American Journalist