Derby Pie

Tomorrow is Derby Day! Being a Maryland girl, I’ve always been a fan of the series of horse races known as the Triple Crown. Starting with the Kentucky Derby, continuing with The Preakness here in Maryland, and finishing up with The Belmont Stakes in upstate New York – it’s always something that I look forward to in the spring!

While Mint Julips are a great way to celebrate “the run for the roses”, I’ve always preferred this delicious chocolate-nut pie known simply as “Derby Pie”. Although, you didn’t hear me call it that! The family restaurant that invented this pie has that title trademarked, and it’s not been afraid to sue the pants off of folks in the past. So, you’ll see it referred to as other names – “Kentucky Pie” or “Thoroughbred Pie” to name a few. Some folks use pecans in their pies for some reason, but after poking around a bit it seems to me that the original uses walnuts. So, I went with that!

It’s a decadent and rich pie studded with plenty of chocolate, walnuts, bourbon, and brown sugar. When baked, a sugary natural crust forms on it’s own that’s slightly crunchy. I like to let it cool to room temperature before slicing, then warming in the microwave for about 15 seconds, and serving alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

It’s nothing short of incredible. And, unlike other pies – it stays good for three or four days. And, a small slice is more than enough since it’s so rich and decadent, so it does have the potential to last that long too…provided you’re not grotesquely pregnant and eat the entire pie in two!

Source: adapted from about.com