Chocolate, Bourbon, and Pecan Galette Recipe

Well, it’s late August so it must be…almost time for the Derby? It’s 2020, so sure.

The fact that the two major editorial shoots in our Spring 2020 (and final) issue of the magazine were both Derby-inspired in the year that the Derby got postponed was obviously minor compared to everything else this year has brought, but it was, shall we say, a small indignity heaped on the already heavy load of the year.

Let me take you behind the scenes a bit. In early 2019, we started collaborating with our friend Tammy of Typebird Creative on a project that turned into Brand Derby, a one-day branding, styling, and photography boot camp of a workshop for creative business owners. The name Brand Derby came about because we happened to schedule the first session on Derby Day, and Tammy happened to be particular fan of the Derby. I had my own connection because my husband and I met at a (Savannah-based) Derby party in 2011. It all just came together, and it also got me thinking about doing some Derby-themed photo shoots for the Spring issue the next year. We ended up doing a Derby fashion shoot, which was skillfully styled by Carol Jensky (we also learned a lot about horse wrangling; fun story, some horses are more professional than other horses). (Second fun story, we shot that on a blazing hot October (yes, you read that right; for more on that, see here) day and everyone was miserable.) Our second Derby-inspired nod in the issue was this Derby party shoot, with recipes developed by Kim Daniels.

This Chocolate, Bourbon, and Pecan Galette recipe was inspired by the traditional Derby Pie. We turned it into a galette because galettes are fun (see here). When styling it, I wanted the galette to look like a piece of millenry, and thus, stuck a bunch of honeysuckle vines in it (we shot this in January, and you work with what you’ve got) to mimic the fabulous hats Derby attendees don (well, most years; maybe this year fans will, from the safety of their own homes, adorn masks with feathers).

The running of the Derby without fans is another in a string of oddities that we couldn’t have conceived of before this year. But the lack of these usual spectacle events encourages us to come up with creative ways to make things special from home, and it’s something that we’ll be thinking more and more about as the holidays approach. How we will celebrate those holidays we usually get together with family for? What will Halloween look like for kiddos? Do we set a Thanksgiving table for two? Will Santa be wearing a face shield when he comes down the chimney?

Learning to take joy in the things we can create for ourselves, and giving ourselves permission to make them special (get out the linen napkins and the good silverware) even when they don’t look like they did before is a lesson I’m taking from this year. As a stylist I strive to create special things—tablescapes, lifestyle vignettes—for photographs. Those things can feel too aspirational sometimes—”Who really lives like that?” “Why would I put flowers on that if I’m just going to take them off to eat it?” “Who puts produce on a table?” But taking the time to create something special, even if you’re the only one who sees it, especially if you’re the only who sees it, makes it inherently meaningful and intentional.

And it doesn’t have to be a styled table. Maybe the thought of styling a table makes you break out in hives. That’s okay too. What does special mean to you? Maybe it’s taking the time to go through old mementos, or listening to a favorite album without interruptions. Maybe it’s a hobby you’ve neglected, or weeding your garden. Whatever it is that creates meaning for you, give yourself the grace to enjoy it.

So, that actually took a turn I wasn’t expecting. If you’re still with me, and if, by chance, making an indulgent galette to accompany watching the Derby on September 5, is a way you create meaning, you’re in luck, because we’ve got a recipe for you.

Chocolate, Bourbon, and Pecan Galette Recipe

Recipe by Kim Daniels / Photographed by Siobhan Egan / Styled by Bevin Valentine Jalbert

Ingredients

Crust

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter 

• 1/2 cup ice water

Filling

• 2 cups pecan halves

• 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped

• 2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted

• 4 TBSP strong brewed coffee

• 2 TBSP bourbon

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 2 TBSP maple syrup

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Assembly

• 1 egg

• 1 TBSP water

• Raw sugar, for sprinkling over the pies

Directions

1. To make the crust: Dice 20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) of cold unsalted butter into small pieces. Then place the butter back in the refrigerator to chill.

2. Measure 3 cups of flour into a large bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the flour and stir it up.

3. Add the diced butter to the flour. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, combine the butter and flour mixture. When the butter pieces in the flour mixture are about the size of peas, add in approximately 1/2 cup of ice water. Add the water in a little bit at a time. You may not need all of the water. Mix until the dough comes together just well enough to hold together.

4. Pour the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into two discs that are about an inch thick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour.

5. Prepare the Chocolate Bourbon Pecan filling by combining the melted butter, coffee, bourbon, sugar, maple syrup, egg, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir well to combine. 

6. Pre-heat oven to 400°. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

7. Take one of the discs of dough from fridge. Roll it out into a circle on a floured surface until it is about 1/4” thick. 

8. Place pecans and chocolate in the center of the crust, leaving about a 3” border around the outer edge. Gently fold the pastry over the pecans, pleating as needed. 

9. Carefully pour the filling mixture over the pecans and chocolate. 

10. Make an egg wash by beating one egg and mixing in 1 TBSP of water. Brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar. 

11. Bake until the filling sets and the crust is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, cut, and serve.