By Teri Cayton
The Parsons Advocate
The furniture business is going really well. I have finished some new pieces and I have some new ones to work on. I got a really nice chest of drawers the other day and it is made very well. I now have a farm table for the dining room. It is five feet long and has two benches instead of chairs. I think I am going to white wash it if I can get it sanded down enough.
I really enjoy doing that sort of thing and it is really therapeutic for me. I don’t go out, I don’t drink and I guess I just need an outlet of some sort. Momma Said, “Find something you love to do and it will never seem like work.” I just wish the pay was a little better. But hard work won’t kill me and if it does I guess I will go out doing something I enjoy.
Last week I must have been giving off some bad vibes or something. I got dog bit five times by two different dogs and one of them was my own. I was helping a friend put on a roof and I guess his one dog didn’t like the smell of me or something. The little snot snuck up behind me three times and got me on both legs. Then one came from Gracie and one came from Ripley. Gracie and Amber had a misunderstanding and I tried to get them apart and got bit on the finger.
Then my sister had her dogs down one day and Ripley was going crazy wanting to get to them. I was trying to keep her from jumping the fence and she sprang up and bit me right in the chest. As a woman, I can now say I know what a man feels like when he is kicked in his nether regions. Momma Said, “You should never bite the hand (or whatever) that feeds you, but I guess they didn’t get the message.”
Here is something you can really bite into for Thanksgiving!!
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
INGREDIENTS
- 2⅓ CUPS halved pecans divided
- 1 9-inch pastry dough pie crust
- 1 beaten egg for egg wash
- 1 CUP dark corn syrup
- ½ CUP sugar
- ½ CUP brown sugar
- 3 TABLESPOONS bourbon
- 4 TABLESPOONS butter melted
- 3 eggs
- 1 TEASPOON pure vanilla extract
- ½ TEASPOON salt
- 1½ CUPS bittersweet chocolate chips
- Whipped cream for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
- Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Coarsely chop 1½ cups of the nuts, leaving about 40 pecan halves to decorate the top of the pie.
- Roll out the pastry and line a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges and brush the crust with the egg wash. Place the crust in the freezer while you make the filling.
- Combine the dark corn syrup, sugar, brown sugar, and bourbon in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Whisk in the melted butter.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl along with the vanilla and salt. Temper the eggs into the corn syrup mixture by whisking ½ cup of the corn syrup into the eggs. Then pour the eggs into the pot with the remaining corn syrup, whisking constantly.
- Place the chilled pie crust on a baking sheet. Mix together the pecans and chocolate chips and spread them out in the bottom of the crust, set aside. Pour the warm pie filling over the nuts and chocolate in the pie shell. Arrange the reserved pecan halves around the outer edge of the pie in a decorative manner. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven.
- Bake at 350ºF for 60 minutes, until the pie has browned on top and the edges of the pastry are set. There should still be a little jiggle in the middle of the pie. Let the pie cool for at least 2 hours before serving.
Serve warm or at room temperature and dollop with whipped cream, if desire.