Sorry, kiddos, this special pie is for moms and dads only. With an impressive combination of flavors that are delicately sweet, buttery and salty, this tasty Bourbon bacon pecan pie is sure to wow your dinner guests—and your tastebuds.
Check out the recipe from Smithfield® below to get started.
Whisk together the butter, eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup and bourbon.
Chop two cups of the pecans.
With a fork, prick the crust in several places.
Place the chopped pecans in the pie shell and lightly press so that they don’t float up too much after adding the batter.
Cover the chopped pecans with the batter, then arrange the remaining whole pecan halves in concentric circles around the pie, working from the outer edge toward the middle.
Bake the pie for about 40 minutes, or until the filling is just set but still slightly jiggly in the center.
If the pecans or crust are starting to get too brown before the pie is done, cover loosely with foil.
Remove the pie from the oven, sprinkle the candied bacon on top and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
Serve when cooled, top with whipped cream if desired
Tips to Stretch Your Dollar
If you have any leftover bacon, be sure to store it in a container for breakfast the next day! Whether you add the bacon to an omelet or serve the simple-yet-classic bacon and eggs, your kids are sure to love the rich flavor of Smithfield’s maple bacon.
In need of more inspiration for your next family meal? Smithfield Foods’ large portfolio of products, including Smithfield® Bacon, Nathan’s Famous® Beef Franks and Eckrich® Smoked Sausage, can meet your household’s needs for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snack time.
Did you run out of food coloring? Are you unhappy with your crust? Do you not have the right tools? It’s no problem with these great baking hacks
It’s that most wonderful time of the year: holiday cookie time! This year, don’t dread it, own it with these Christmas baking hacks to salvage any quandary. From a baking powder substitution and what to do if you don’t have a rolling pin to what to use in place of eggs or butter, we’ve got the goods on making goodies.
1. Holiday baking often calls for some pepperminty goodness, but who keeps peppermint syrup on hand for once-a-year baking? (No, Schnapps doesn’t count). Use an abundant ingredient: peppermint candies. Just put them in a Ziploc bag and smash them to bits. A great stress reliever!
2. Use tongs to make an even crimping pattern along the edge of your pie crust.
3. No rolling pin? Try this rolling pin hack: Use a wine bottle as a rolling pin (no, it doesn’t have to be full!).
4. Fill a wine bottle with ice (and cork well) to keep pie dough chill while rolling it out, great for when it's hot or humid.
5. Sub a little of your water for vodka and your pie crust somehow comes out flakier. And now you have an almost-full bottle of vodka on hand. Just sayin'...
6. Add a marshmallow to the top of your cupcakes five minutes before you take them out of the oven for a gooey, perfect topping—no frosting required.
7. If you run out of food coloring, use Jello to tint decorative icing.
8. Looking for a natural way to dye when baking? Check out these simple recipes for making natural food coloring yourself.
9. Fill an oral syringe with thin icing to get precise lines and letters when decorating.
10. If you do have piping tips, fill two piping bags or Ziplocks with different colored frosting. Don't overfill the bags; now put both bags into one tip, and you'll squeeze out a swirl of color.
11. Put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven to give your bread a crisp, browned crust. You can also use a spray bottle with water; spritz the oven to create steam.
12. Substitute butter in your next boxed cake recipe for a super-rich and luscious cake. You can even just melt it to make sure it incorporates easily.
13. You can also sub avocado for butter if you want something dairy-free and heart-healthy. Use one avocado to one stick of butter ratio. And if you run out of butter (or avocado), you can use applesauce in its place.
14. When making pies, freeze your butter, and then grate it into your flour mixture, instead of trying to crumble it with your fork. This will help integrate it more evenly and keep the butter cool.
15. Soften your butter BEFORE you mix it into your cookie dough batter, and try using salted butter instead of sweet cream.
16. Use a set of visual measuring cups. Perfect for kids and parents who need to squint just to read the measurements, the shape tells the size! The innovative cups make cooking and baking fun and easy for everyone.
17. Soften butter in the microwave, but be careful. Use a low power level, like two, and put it in for no more than 10 seconds to avoid melted butter (vs. softened). If it's not soft enough, continue to microwave at five-second intervals until it is.
18. Soften too-hard butter by putting it between two pieces of waxed paper and whacking it hard with a rolling pin. Once it’s been smacked a bit, roll it out (still between the waxed paper). The kids will love helping with this one.
19. Another method for softening too-cold butter without microwaving it to a puddle: set it on top of the stove while the oven is preheating. It will gradually soften: this works great if you are baking a cake and want to use the butter for a no-fail frosting.
20. Bring cold eggs to room temperature by placing them in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
21. Use the other part of an eggshell to remove any errant bits of shell. Miraculously, this works and is way faster than struggling with a spoon or your fingers.
22. Baking for someone with an egg allergy? Use a flax egg. Simply measure one tablespoon of flaxseed meal (that’s flax seeds you put in the blender or you can buy already blended) to two tablespoons warm water for each “egg.” Mix it and let it sit for five minutes. The consistency will be similar to an egg. Or, opt for this egg alternative from Bob’s Red Mill.
23. If you want your chocolate chip cookies to have a more caramel flavor, sub out ½ cup of white sugar with additional brown sugar. If you want them with a more sugar-cookie-like taste, leave out all the brown sugar and use only white (most recipes call for some of each).
24. Use a muffin tin to make sure your cookies turn out uniform in size.
25. Easiest cookie ever? Hershey’s Kiss in pretzel circle, melt on parchment paper covered cookie sheet in oven until just soft. Boom. Next level: Use Rolos instead.
30. If you’ve “sorta” burned your cookies, use a box grater to shave off the darkest parts.
31. Also, measure out your cookie dough with an ice cream scoop, then chill them on the pan for a bit before baking (you can even freeze them, which means you can do this all ahead of time, bake the cookies the morning of and you get a better cookie). If you can’t afford the time (or space), just chill the bowl of dough for 20 minutes in the freezer before you start to scoop.
32. Store your cookies (or what's left of them) in an air-tight container with an apple wedge to keep the cookies moist.
37. Keep your brown sugar from going rock-hard by storing it in an air-tight container. Toss in a piece of bread to keep it moist.
38. If it's too late and your brown sugar is already hard, microwave it for 30 seconds in a bowl covered with a wet paper towel or place it in the oven to soften for about 15 minutes.
39. Does your recipe call for powdered sugar, but you are out? Use a spice grinder or food processor and pulverize white granulated sugar until it’s powder.
40. Slice your cheesecake with dental floss (but not the minty kind).
41. Hate dealing with metal sheet pans and cookie tins? Use a silicone baking mold instead. We love Silpat molds—there's no need to ever grease the molds or use liners, and your goodies bake to perfection (though depending on your oven, you may want to add a couple of minutes to the cooking time).
42. Need a baking powder substitution? The following are equal to 1 tsp. of baking powder:
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar.
1/2 cup plain yogurt + 1 tsp. baking soda. Mix dry ingredients first before adding yogurt to dry ingredients (Reduce the amount of water or other liquids.).
Adding self-care during your daily errands with kids in tow makes everyday life much more fun. So, we’ve rounded up the best kid-friendly nail salons where you can enjoy a manicure and pedicure with your kids. From kid-sized chairs to super sweet staff, these are our go-to spots for carving out a little bonding time, not to mention great nails. So, get ready to enjoy a precious moment of pampering and polish with your kids.
This kid-friendly nail salon offers a Miss Priss mani for $10, a pedi for $20 or a mani-pedi combo for $30 for ages 10 and under. They have nine locations in the greater Atlanta area, so your kids can get the royal treatment no matter where they reign.
Insider tip: Although nothing beats an impromptu mani-pedi, you can make an appointment online and save yourself the wait.
Locations in: Buckhead, Chastain, VA-HI, Vinings, Midtown and Norcross.
Under new management, this Black-owned salon is proud to be a part of the Atlanta community. They’re excited to grow their business and give back to the community in a big way. Little ones are welcome for the mani/pedi service from their kind staff. Customers are raving about the new salon on the block.
This Brookhaven hot spot has multiple locations across town, but we love the Dresden Drive location’s proximity to shopping (did someone mention Costco?). You’ll be in and out in a jiffy at this kid-friendly nail salon. And who can resist the kid-sized chairs and efficient, courteous staff?
1418 Dresden Dr., Ste. 110
Brookhaven, GA Online: hammondnails.net
Using only products fresh from the garden, you never have to question a product ingredient at this innovative yet comfortable-as-home spot in Castleberry Heights. With offerings beyond nails, this kid-friendly nail salon even has a Skincare Chef who hand-picks fresh fruits, veggies and herbs from the farm. Then juices and mixes them into a powder base used to make skincare recipes. For a sweet manicure and pedicure that runs $29, kids love getting their hands and toes sprinkled with chocolate and a raw brown sugar scrub during a service crafted just for them.
Drop in for a celebrity salon treatment with one of the salon owners, self-proclaimed twin manicurists to the stars. Join their client list, which includes Queen Latifah, Usher, Faith Evans, Demi Moore, Katherine Heigl, Beyonce and so many more. They offer a special manicure and pedicure for kids under 5.
Get ready to enjoy tiny, pampered hands and feet with this salon’s extensive children’s services menu. Treatments include cuticle softening, cleaning, nail trim, shaping, buffing, callus treatment and massage. Customers rave about the friendly staff and their great attention to detail and service.
This place does it all for parents and kids. Book a polish for toes and nails, grab a haircut and even get those little ears pierced. Their goal is to make the salon experience enjoyable for the entire family.
Thanks to Ambs Loves Food, your cravings for a Korean beef bowl can be sated in just 20 mins. This simple ingredient list of pantry staples will pack your dish with so much flavor your little foodies will be asking for seconds. Pst – cooking the rice will take longer than the beef, so if you plan ahead and have pre-cooked rice to reheat, making this dish could take less than 20 mins!
Ingredients: 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon crushed ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon veggie oil
1 tablespoon chives
roasted/steamed broccoli
cooked brown rice
Method: 1. Start with a large skillet and heat oil until hot. First add garlic and cook for a minute until you can smell it fragrantly. Add in ground beef.
2. While beef is cooking mix brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and lastly ginger in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Once beef is cooked and all crumbled, drain the fat. Pour in sauce mixture with chives, let simmer until hot.
4. Serve over brown rice with roasted broccoli.
Planning on cooking this recipe today? Share your results with us in the Comments below!
Textile designer by day, food blogger by night, Amber Knight is the author and photographer of Ambs Loves Food, a blog full of easy, delicious recipes. Her recipe index is filled with classical dishes that kids will love, like banana oat chocolate chip muffins to comfort mac and cheese. She even gets her craft on with fun DIY projects! Visit Ambs Loves Food by clicking here.
We’ve all been there: all set to bust out your favorite recipe or do some baking with the kids and you find yourself short on a key ingredient. Whether you’re looking for a baking soda substitution or you are in need of an egg substitution, or it’s just not practical (or safe) to go to the store, we’ve got a handy list for those just-in-case moments.
Baking powder: The following are equal to 1 tsp. baking powder.
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/2 cup plain yogurt + 1 tsp. baking soda. Mix dry ingredients together first before adding yogurt. dded to dry ingredients. (Reduce amount of water or other liquids).
1/2 tsp. lemon juice + 1/4 tsp. baking soda.
1/4 cup of molasses + 1/4 tsp. baking soda.
1/2 tsp. vinegar + 1/4 tsp. baking soda.
Baking soda:
Baking powder at a 3x ratio (i.e. 3 tsp. baking powder = roughly 1 tsp. baking soda).
Brown sugar:
1 cup white sugar + 1 tbsp. maple syrup or molasses
Maple syrup, agave nectar or molasses at the ratio of 2/3 cup liquid to 1 cup of brown sugar. Reduce your other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup each.
Aquafaba, aka bean water! This is the liquid leftover from canned beans. Use 3 tbsp. per egg. This is great to sub for whipped meringues or when a recipe calls for egg whites.
Flour:
It’s Pretty hard to sub out flour, but you can create your own flour from dried oats if you powder them. Other flours, such as almond flour or coconut flour, can be used on a 1 to 1 ratio but don’t expect the same results. Liquids bind differently with these flours, so if possible try for a half regular/half alternative flour recipe.
Half and half or heavy cream:
Add 2 tbsp. of cornstarch to regular milk.
Melt 1/4 cup butter into 3/4 cup regular or skim milk.
Lemon/lemon juice:
You can sub in vinegar, orange juice, lime juice or white wine in place of lemon juice.
Powdered sugar:
DIY your own powdered sugar by putting regular (castor) sugar into a food processor until it’s…well…powdered!
Sour cream:
Add 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice to yogurt.
Yeast:
There isn’t really a great substitute for yeast, but in a pinch you can try using equal parts baking soda + vinegar (or another acid like lemon juice) to create a leavening effect.
Sub a little of your water for vodka and your pie crust somehow comes out flakier. And now you have an almost-full bottle of vodka on hand. Just sayin…
If you run out of food coloring, Use Jello to tint decorative icing.
Do you butter your Pop-Tarts? If you do, you’re in good company and the breakfast pastry brand is paying attention. Starting next week, you can try and snag a limited-edition Pop-Tarts x Butter Kit, featuring your favorite flavors and gourmet butter blends!
So far this year, people have tweeted about butter and Pop-Tarts 6,946 times, equating to almost one tweet every hour. Pop-Tarts decided to partner with Banner Butter, an Atlanta-based small-batch butter maker, to create kits that celebrate this delicious pairing. You’ll only be able to buy them online for $25 on Tuesday, Nov. 16 and sales start at noon ET.
Here’s what to expect if you get your hands on a kit: three boxes of Pop-Tarts in Frosted Strawberry, Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon and Frosted Chocolate Fudge flavors. Plus six Banner Butter varieties that sound pretty mouth-watering: Honey Habanero, Sea Salt, Strawberry, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Ginger and Balsamic Fig and Caramelized Onion.
If you’re unsure on how to pair, you’ll also receive a Pop-Tarts x Butter 101 Guide. There are even tips on how to properly butter the pastries! The kits will likely sell out fast, so if you miss out, grab a box of Pop-Tarts and your fave butter and try it for yourself at home.
It’s always ice cream season, even when the temperatures start to drop. Chilly temperatures are no match for DQ, thanks to a fun new fall roster of blizzards and a sweet new giveaway. Yes, there’s a sweater vest involved!
If you’ve always dreamed of owning an article of clothing that’s perfect for carrying a blizzard, you’re in luck. DQ is giving away a limited edition “Sweeter Vest” that includes a pocket for the treat and a separate smaller pocket for the accompanying spoon! Vests are first come, first served and totally free, so make sure to bookmark this page and enter starting at 9 a.m. ET on September 15.
What to carry in your new vest? A pie blizzard! You’ll no longer have to debate whether pumpkin or pecan is the best pie flavor, because you can buy both with a DQ spin. The new Pecan Pie blizzard features brown sugar pie pieces and caramel and the Pumpkin Pie blizzard has real pie pieces and is topped with whipped cream.
But if you’re not really a pie person, not to worry. Look for two more new blizzards on the seasonal menu: Reese’s Pieces Cookie Dough and Sea Salt Toffee Fudge. The first one includes chocolate chip cookie dough and Reese’s Pieces blended together and the second has real salted toffee pieces.
All of the treats are available now for a limited time. Head to your nearest DQ or place an online order to get your ice cream even faster! And with any luck, hopefully you can tote it around in your own Sweeter Vest very soon.
There’s one catch: you can only get each donut for one week only! Pumpkin Spice will be available September 6-12. Choose from Original Glazed, Original Filled with cheesecake, or the classic old fashioned Spice Cake donut.
Up next, Apple Cider for September 13-19. You can get an apple cider donut covered in a new Apple Cider glaze, an Original Filled with brown sugar cream, or an old-fashioned cake donut.
Finally, Maple Glazed has entered the chat for September 20-26. You’ll be able to buy a Maple Glazed donut, Original Filled with maple cream, or a Maple Glazed butter cake donut. Pardon us while we drool all over our keyboard.
Fortunately seasonal drinks will be available a bit longer, through late November. Grab Krispy Kreme’s pumpkin spice latte, caramel latte or cinnamon bun latte to caffeinate deliciously! And remember, you can always order online to make life even easier.
Move over PSL, there’s a new fall drink in town! The Apple Crisp Macchiato has fallen in a Starbucks cup near you and it sounds absolutely magical. Complete with a caramelized apple drizzle on top!
The latest and greatest fall beverage is available at Starbucks nationwide starting today and we don’t blame you if you’re drooling over your screen. You can expect layered flavors of apple and brown sugar along with the classic base of espresso and steamed milk. The topper is made of apple juice, apple puree, cinnamon and nutmeg, so it also smells amazing. Basically an apple pie in drink form, it’s available hot or iced for whatever weather you experience this fall.
Starbucks says its research and development team taste tested a variety of apple flavored items before landing on the newest macchiato. The combination of the gooey taste of apple crisp and a hot cup of coffee was too good to pass up!
“Creating an ingredient with a spicy baked apple flavor was crucial to be able to bridge an autumn red apple to espresso,” said Raegan Powell, senior manager on the Starbucks research and development team. “Consider how well a delicious slice of warm apple pie pairs with a cup of coffee or how well the combination of Starbucks roasty signature espresso pairs with warm spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.”
Like the rest of Starbucks’ fall lineup, this one is only available for a limited time. Pairing with a slice of pie or a cider donut is optional (but highly encouraged).
Whether you manage Celiac disease or are looking to eat gluten free, the following bloggers got you covered from focaccia to cake and everything in between!
Spokin is a modern platform and app connecting people managing food allergies to resources including food, restaurants, hotels and more. Users have personalized experiences based on allergies & location. With 55,000+ reviews across 79 countries, Spokin helps the allergy community share and connect. The Spokin iOS app is free on iTunes.
