Since the creation of the derby pie in 1954, this simple American favorite has a tumultuous history of fate, intrigue, and litigation. From its naming out of a small Kentucky inn’s hat draw, to its branding by the Electronic Frontier Foundation as the “most litigious confection in America”, a variation of the Kern Family’s Derby-Pie® secret recipe is revealed here and now from the faded ink of my mom’s treasure map recipe.

For decades, my mom has crowned the Thanksgiving dessert table with her derby pies, each one loaded with the perfect mix of chocolates, pecans, and custard. And now, with great existential threat to the independent function of jacobgoldman.dev, I now present the faded notes blueprint to this crown jewel dessert.

  • ½ cup melted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 to 2 tbsp bourbon
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 9’’ pastry shell
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Add chocolate, immediately pour into crust
  3. Combine sugar, butter, syrup, eggs, and bourbon into sauce pan and stir constantly
  4. Cover top with pecans
  5. Bake 45-50 minutes until firm