Tthis one for the Southern fat kid inside me! Fried pies with gooey Carolina bourbon infused pecan filling and dusted with cinnamon and sugar is a treat for any Panthers fan (and let’s be honest, really any fan of anything).

FILLING

1. 1 cup sugar
2. 2/3 cup maple syrup
3. 1/3 cup butter
4. 3 tablespoons North Carolina Bourbon (Defiant Single Malt Whiskey)
5. 2 large eggs, whisked
6. 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
7. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8. ½ teaspoon of sea salt

COATING

1. ½ cup butter, melted
2. ½ cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon

THE REST

1. 3 premade pie crusts
2. Vegetable oil for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat a large dutch oven or fryer to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium pot, combine sugar, maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, eggs and butter. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and aggressively simmer the mix for 10 minutes- take care not to stir. Turn off heat and stir in the pecans and salt.
3. Roll out pie crust and cut 3” circles in the dough (you can re-roll the scraps to get more). Spoon 1 tablespoon into the middle of all the rounds. Brush edges with water, then fold over to close. With a flour coated fork, press the edges to seal well (be mindful of this step or your filling will explode out of your pie when frying).
4. Fry your pies in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan. When they’re golden, remove and transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet.
5. Brush each pie with melted butter and dust with cinnamon sugar mix and serve warm or room temp.