Derby Pie

Here's a sweet treat that comes to us from Kentucky by way of our pal Susan in Great Britain.

DERBY-PIE® was born nearly a half century ago as the specialty pastry of the Melrose Inn, at Prospect, Kentucky. Once developed, a proper name had to be given. Because each family member had a favorite, the name DERBY-PIE® was actually pulled from a hat.


And what a winner! By 1968 DERBY-PIE® had become so successful that the name was registered with the U.S. Patent Office and the Commonwealth of Kentucky (that's the reason for the ®!). Since then it has been baked and distributed solely by Kern's Kitchen, a small family operation.

My first recollection of eating Derby Pie is from childhood. I must have been between 6 and 7 years old and my only clear memory is sitting at a table while grandmother sat opposite watching me devour my dessert in a rather un-lady like manner. I am thinking we must have been on a shopping outing in Dallas while visiting my grandparents. Café, large department store with the initials NM possibly. All I can say for certain is, I LOVED that pie.

This particular version of Derby Pie is a slight alteration of a recipe found in the “Delicious Heritage” cookbook my husband so thoughtfully bought me as a Christmas gift early on in our marriage. I make this for summer BBQ’s and large gatherings that require a variety of desserts due to so many palates that need pleasing. My contribution for this year’s annual Bonfire Night party my family attends was this fantastic treat. After presenting it the crowd, they appeared perplexed and asked me to repeat the name of the pud (ie. pudding/dessert). I again stated that it was Derby pie and someone piped up “ah, you mean Darby." Of course! To the untrained ear, when the English speak it sounds like A is pronounced E and E is who knows what, not to mention the H being hay-ch, Z is zed and zero, well, it’s nil. So many adaptations to be made by me and my crew for survival in the little quadrant of the planet we currently call home.

4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. sugar
¾ c. light Karo syrup
4 tbsp. bourbon
½ stick butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 10-inch unbaked pie shell (make your own, it’s 5 minutes out of your life and tastes better than anything store bought)

Combine ingredients in order, then pour into pie shell. Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes or until center is set. For a nice presentation I drizzle melted chocolate on top of the pie once it has cooled. If you are feeling really indulgent, serve with vanilla ice cream.