In honor of today’s Kentucky Derby run, here’s the Southern favorite also known as Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie. One of our friends once asked us to add coconut for her husband, who is a serious devotee of all things coconut; the result was fabulous.

• Single recipe pie crust
• 1 ½ cups pecans, chopped
• 1 cup semisweet morsels
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup bourbon or water (you can replace some of this liquid with up to 1/2 teaspoon praline flavoring, rum flavoring, or other flavor)
• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Optional: ½ cup toasted coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees; line 9-inch pie pan with crust. Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly over bottom of pie crust. Spread coconut over baking sheet and place in oven, checking frequently; remove when coconut is lightly browned.

If you are using bourbon or other spirits: In large saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugars and bourbon, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, cornmeal, vanilla and salt. Gradually stir about 1/4 of the sugar syrup into egg mix; pour egg mix back into sugar syrup, whisking constantly. Stir in coconut. Pour filling into pie pan.

If you are using water: combine corn syrup, sugars and water in bowl.  In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, cornmeal, vanilla and salt. Add sugar syrup to egg mix in thirds, and mix well after each addition. Stir in coconut. Pour filling into pie pan.

Bake pie at 325 degrees for 55 minutes or until set in center. Cool on wire rack.