Chucrhill Downs, Run for the Roses, Chow Wagon, Pegasus Pins and Thunder Over Louisville are the tall tale signs that THE KENTUCKY DERBY is here. And in Louisville the Derby is a big deal. It’s almost in a since a national holiday and being a fellow Kentuckian I have experience this phenomenon  more than once. So Ladies get your Best & Biggest Hat ready. It’s time to go to the races!

1. Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie

Derby pie is a pastry created in the Melrose Inn of Prospect, Kentucky, USA, by George Kern with the help of his parents. It is often associated with the Kentucky Derby. The pie is a chocolate and walnut tart in a pie shell usually with a pastry dough crust. It is also commonly made with pecans, chocolate chips and Kentucky bourbon. Popular additions are butterscotch, caramel, and other types of nuts.

The name “Derby Pie” is a registered trademark of Kern’s Kitchen, which registered the name in 1968. The company uses the name in the form “DERBY-PIE®” in official literature and advertisements. The company has filed several lawsuits over the years to protect its commercial rights. Because of this, others who make similar pies have had to alter their recipes slightly and/or use a different name (such as “Pegasus Pie”, a reference to the Pegasus Parade at the Kentucky Derby Festival and May Day Pie, in reference to the First Saturday in May, the day of the Kentucky Derby).

Recipe & Photo is courtesy of MyRecipes.Com

Ingredients

• 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup bourbon or water $
• 4 large eggs $
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted $
• 2 teaspoons cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp.
2. Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly onto bottom of piecrust; set aside.
3. Combine corn syrup and next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Whisk together eggs and next 4 ingredients. Gradually whisk about one-fourth hot mixture into egg mixture; add to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly. Pour filling into prepared piecrust.
5. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until set; cool on wire rack.

2. Mint Julep

The mint julep is a mixed alcoholic drink, or cocktail, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States. It is traditionally made with four ingredients: mint leaf, bourbon, sugar, and water. Traditionally, spearmint is the mint of choice used in Southern states, and in Kentucky in particular. In the use of sugar and mint, it is similar to the mojito. Traditionally, mint juleps were often served in silver or pewter cups, and held only by the bottom and top edges of the cup. This allows frost to form on the outside of the cup. Traditional hand placement may have arisen as a way to reduce the heat transferred from the hand to the silver or pewter cup. Today, mint juleps are most commonly served in a tall old-fashioned glass, Collins glass, or highball glass with a straw.

Recipe & Photo is courtesy of KentuckyDerby.Com

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• Sprigs of fresh mint
• Crushed ice
• Early Times Kentucky Whisky
• Silver Julep Cups

Instructions

1. Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Early Times Kentucky Whisky. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

3. Kentucky Buttermilk Pie

Buttermilk pie is a custard-like pie. Traditional of the United Kingdom, it almost unknown today but is now a traditional pie of the southern United States and is well known in Texas. It is similar to, and sometimes confused with, chess pie but it does not include cornmeal. The basic filling consists of a mixture of sugar, butter, eggs, buttermilk and wheat flour. Variations on the recipe may include flavorings such as vanilla or lemon zest. Buttermilk pies are made with a pie crust. The filling is poured into the crust and baked until the mixture sets. The pie is best eaten at room temperature after being allowed to cool, but may be eaten either warm from the oven or after being chilled.

Recipe & Photo courtesy of Sweet Tea And Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 Tbs. self rising flour
• 1 stick melted butter
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbs. KY bourbon
• 1 deep dish pie shell

Instructions

1. Mix together butter and sugar. Add flour, eggs, and buttermilk and mix well. Add vanilla and bourbon. 
2. Place the pie shell on a cookie sheet and pour the mixture into shell. Place on the center rack of the oven set at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Decrease the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 45 minutes. Remove and cool before slicing.

4. The Hot Brow

A Hot Brown Sandwich is a hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It is a variation of traditional Welsh rarebit and was one of two signature sandwiches created by chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923. It was created to serve as an alternative to ham and egg late-night suppers.

Recipe & Photo is courtesy of Brown Hotel

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Whole Butter
• 2 oz. All Purpose Flour
• 16 oz. Heavy Cream
• 1/2 Cup Pecorino Romano Cheese, Plus 1 Tablespoon for Garnish
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
• 14 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast
• 2 Slices of Texas Toast (Crust Trimmed)
• 4 slices of Crispy Bacon
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in Half
• Paprika
• Parsley

Instructions

1. In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk heavy cream into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. For each Hot Brown, place one slice of toast in an oven safe dish and cover with 7 ounces of turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and set them alongside the base of turkey and toast. Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.