The Chef
Thomas Keller of Per Se

Servings
8 people

Ingredients
1 9-inch fluted tart mold lined with pâte brisée
2 ½ cups pecan halves
4 eggs
¼ up granulated sugar
¼ up muscovado sugar (can substitute with dark brown sugar)
½ cup light corn syrup
1 cup molasses
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh whipped cream

Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coarsely chop half the pecans and set aside. Combine the eggs and sugar in a bowl, then add the corn syrup, molasses, butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt, and mix together until smooth. Add the chopped pecans. Pour the mixture into the prepared tart shell. Arrange the remaining pecan halves over the top and bake in the oven until the crust is golden and the filling is firm to the touch, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool for about an hour before cutting. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Best With
Suggested Menu: sunchoke soup with virginia-ham croquettes; virginia-ham croquettes; breast of four corners farm's turkey "cuit sous vide" and roasted leg "en ballotine"; giblet gravy; green-bean casserole: Oven-baked haricots verts with cream of california cepe mushroom and crispy shallots; garnet sweet-potato mille-feuille with white-truffle royale and shaved truffles from alba; Waldorf-salad stuffing; pecan pie with whipped cream; caramel popcorn.

To Drink: Chambers Rosewood Rutherglen Muscat; Rutherglen, Australia ($15). A great value multi-vintage wine, blended like a sherry. It almost tastes like pecan pie: nutty, spicy, and rich.