I tried Ina Garten's chocolate pecan pie recipe. It's the easiest Thanksgiving dessert I've ever made.

To make Garten's bourbon chocolate pecan pie, which serves six to eight people, you'll need: 

• 1 9-inch store-bought frozen pie crust (make sure you defrost it the night before baking)
• 2 extra-large eggs 
• 1 cup of whole pecans, large-diced 
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 
• 1 ¼ cups of semisweet chocolate chips (Garten recommends Nestlé)
• ½ cup of light brown sugar, lightly packed 
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tablespoons of good bourbon (Garten recommends Maker's Mark)
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• Good vanilla ice cream for serving (Garten recommends Häagen-Dazs)

Garten's recipe calls for whole pecans to be "large-diced." To save time, I bought pecans that had already been halved and gave them a quick, rough chop to get them down to size. 

I threw in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and flour, along with one teaspoon of salt, before mixing everything together.

I threw in the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and bourbon and whisked everything together.

I stirred the ingredients with a rubber spatula until they were combined. 

And just like that, my filling was done!

Garten recommends crimping the edges of your store-bought crust with a floured fork. Since my crust already had a design, I decided to skip this step for fear it could end up looking messy.

I smoothed the top of my pie and placed it on the center rack of the oven, which was set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Garten recommends baking the chocolate bourbon pie for 35 to 40 minutes, until the filling is "evenly golden brown on top and as firm in the middle as it is at the edges." 

My pie needed 44 minutes total to firm up more in the middle. Once I was confident my pie was ready, I transferred it to a wire rack and let it cool completely. 

I'd never made a pecan pie before, so I was really excited when it came out of the oven. The top had turned a pretty caramel color, while the store-bought crust made the pie look clean and professional. 

I'm still a novice when it comes to making desserts, but this is a pie I was proud to present at the Thanksgiving table. 

There's so much texture and flavor in Garten's bourbon chocolate pecan pie. The pecans gave each bite a delightful crunch, while the filling had an ooey-gooey creaminess from the chocolate chips that was so satisfying. And the store-bought crust was flaky and subtle, allowing the rich flavors to take center stage. 

My dad said the pie reminded him of a brownie, and he loved the burst of flavor it got from the bourbon. 

"Prue would love this!" he exclaimed, referring to former "The Great British Bake Off" judge Prue Leith, who has a penchant for boozy desserts. 

Garten recommends serving her pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which helps lighten all that chocolate flavor. 

Garten's bourbon chocolate pecan pie couldn't have been easier. There was barely any prep, and I didn't even need to break out the stand mixer. Just a chop here, a whisk there, and everything was ready for the oven. And since it needs time to cool, this pie is a great dessert to make on Thanksgiving morning before you have to throw the turkey in. 

For those guests who don't love pumpkin pie or want some sweet variety, Garten's pecan pie will definitely make everyone happy.