Salted Bourbon Caramel Pecan Pie - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For the Crust
1/3 cup butter, chilled
2 tablespoons shortening, chilled
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons ice water
For the Filling
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup boiling water
4 eggs, beaten well
1 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 1/2 teaspoons Bourbon
2 cups raw pecans, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup caramel topping, plus about 1/4 c. more for drizzling on top

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Using a mixer on low, work the flour and powdered sugar into the cold butter and shortening until you have a relatively uniform, crumbly mixture.
Make a \"well\" in the middle of the mixture and pour the vinegar plus 1 tablespoon ice water into it.
Use your hands to delicately incorporate the liquid, starting from the center of the well and working outward.
Add to the mixture the remainding 1 tablespoon ice water, adding more if necessary, until you have a dough that holds together in a ball, but does not stick to your hands.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface. Place the crust into a greased 9\" pie dish and prick the bottom several times with a fork.
For the Filling: Mix the brown sugar, white sugar, salt and melted butter in a large bowl.
Add the boiling water and stir until sugar and salt dissolve.
Add the beaten eggs and milk and mix well. If you want a very boozy-tasting pie, add 1 1/2 teaspoon bourbon. Otherwise, add 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Mix in the pecans.
Spread 1/4 cup caramel on bottom of prepared crust. Heat up the caramel first if it helps to spread it.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350.
Bake about 30 minutes more, or until the pie puffs up, and a knife inserted into the center comes out relatively clean.
Cool the pie for at least two hours. Before serving, drizzle about 1/4 cup more caramel on top. It helps to heat up the caramel for this step as well.