Bourbon Pecan Pie with Cinnamon Roll Crust

When I was a little tot, pecans, really any nuts, were not "my piece of pie".  But as I grew older, I grew into peanuts, then cashews and almonds... eventually pecans and walnuts.  Pecan pie was an "adult" dessert, which I eventually grew into and have a slight addiction to.  Even more special about pecans, is that my parents' home has a few pecan trees and one of these pecan pies was made with freshly picked and cracked pecans from those trees.  This pecan pie has a little bit of southern whimsy in that it includes a splash... or two...of bourbon.  The recipe is divided into 2 sections: the pecan pie filling (in case you purchase a pre-made crust) and a pie crust with an optional cinnamon roll flavoring.  The cinnamon roll pie crust not only tastes extra sweet and pairs beautifully with the pecan filling, but in a glass pie pan, it is stunning on the bottom.  Literally, it looks like cinnamon rolls from the bottom.

Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1.5 c. dark corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp. gluten free flour
• 3 eggs
• 1.5 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp bourbon
• 1.5 Tbsp melted butter
• 2 c. pecans
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• Optional: 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Tinfoil

Pie Filling Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F

2) Either with a hand mixer or a hand beater, combine the sugar, syrup, salt, and flour.

3) When the sugar is well blended, mix in the vanilla, bourbon, and butter.

4) Finally, mix in the pecans.

5) Pour the pecan batter into the pie crust (do not prebake pie crust beforehand)

6) Mix milk and sugar in a small cup, brush crust with milk and sugar

6) Using tinfoil, cover the crust edges to keep it from getting burnt - such as shown here: http://www.areal-lifehousewife.com/2012/07/how-to-easily-cover-edges-of-pie-crust.html/

7) Bake in oven for 1 hour, remove tinfoil, and continue to bake for 15 additional minutes

8) Remove from oven and let sit to cool down to room temperature.  Initially, the inside sugar "gel" will be loose and gooey, as it sets it will harden.

Pie Crust Ingredients:

• 1 c. gluten free all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 c. butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• 1 small egg
• CINNAMON ROLL CRUST ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp melted butter

Pie Crust Instructions:

1. Either with a fork, pastry mixer, or processor - blend flour, salt, and butter until the flour is like small peas or a fine "meal".  Make sure no large butter chunks are left.
2. Either continuing to use processor or hands - mix in egg until a dough ball is formed that holds together.
3. Using TWO sheets of wax paper about 12" x 12".  Place the dough ball on one sheet of wax paper, place the second sheet on the dough ball.  Using a rolling pin, roll the ball until it is flat and about 1/8" thick or so.
4. For Cinnamon Roll Crust (also able to begin here with a pre-made crust dough such as Pillsbury gluten free pastry dough):
1. Spread melted butter all over top of crust
2. Sprinkle cinnamon & sugar on top of butter
3. Roll into a log
4. Slice log into 1/4" pinwheels
5. Place pinwheels on wax paper in general pie crust shape, just barely touching each other
6. Place wax paper on top of pinwheels and flatten back out into sheet
5. Remove top wax paper sheet
6. Place pie tin upside down on top of rolled out crust and flip everything back over.  Use the wax paper to help guide the crust into the pie tin.
7. Crust is ready for filling!!