I LOVE Chess Pie. I especially love the chocolate chess pie at Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen. Of course, my favorite flavor profile on earth is the mixture of rich bittersweet chocolate with a sweet, high-wheat bourbon, especially Maker's Mark. The dark chocolate notes paired with the vanilla and caramels of the Maker's to create a decadent treat. It just made sense to bake a pie that combined these two! I adapted from this great recipe.

Pie Crust

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• Pinch Kosher Salt
• 2/3 cup cold whole milk

1. Stir together the butter, flour, and salt in a mixing bowl.  Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is the size of peas.
2. Add milk, one splash at a time to the flour and stir. Continue adding the milk until the mixture forms a  ball.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and flatten into a disk shape.
3. Chill dough about 15 minutes.
4. Roll dough, place in a pie place and trim and crimp the edges.
5.  Chill dough while you make the filling.

Filling

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 2 ounces Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons Maker's Mark Bourbon Whisky
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2.  Place butter and chocolate in a small glass bowl or measuring cup and microwave for 45-60 seconds.  Stir and let sit to finish melting the chocolate and then to let it cool a bit.
3.  Place sugar, eggs, flour, bourbon, salt and vanilla in a large bowl.  Whisk well to combine.
4. Add chocolate mixture to the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.
5. Pour filling into pie crust and bake in preheated oven until edges are browned and filling is puffed and set (but still wiggly in the center), about 30 minutes.
6. Let cool and serve alone, with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.