Springtime brings us exciting horse racing and one of the most celebrated races is the Kentucky Derby. If you are not planning to actually attend Churchill Downs, throw your own Derby party. First and foremost, check the racing times to be aired in your time zone so that all attendees can watch the race (and prerace) on a big screen. Encourage your guests to dress in festive attire which includes stylist hats and colorful sports jackets. Gather a list of the horses to run in order to allow the party goers an opportunity to be informed. Of course, Mint Julips are a must but don’t neglect the chance to set up a Bourbon tasting bar. I recommend grilled steak strips and grilled salmon strips both glazed with Bourbon Sauce. This is made with a mixture of molasses, Bourbon and fresh cracked pepper. Hasselback Potatoes are the perfect side for this combination. For dessert, serve my family’s favorite: Chocolate Thoroughbred Pie! In a heat-proof rectangle dish, mix 1 stick of lightly melted butter, 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of minced pecans. By hand, mash the mixture to form a crust in the heat proof dish and bake at 425⁰ for 10 minutes and no longer. Remove and let cool completely. In a large bowl, mix 10 oz. of cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 cup of whipped cream – pre-beaten stiff. Reserve. In a 2nd large bowl, with a mixer, mix 2 packages of chocolate instant pudding, 1 package of vanilla instant pudding with 3 and ½ cups of milk (not the milk directions on the boxes). Mix well with an electric mixer. Then, onto the cooled baked pie crust layer on the cream cheese mixture smoothing it to an even layer across the crust. Then, top that with the chocolate pudding layer. Then, top the pudding mixture with heavily whipped cream. Keep the pie refrigerated until serving. The top of this wonderful Chocolate Thoroughbred Pie can be decorated with chocolate shavings or if you are artistically inclined…shape the crust of the whole pie into a large horse head shape, layer, and then allow the whipped cream to emphasize the horse’s mane. It will be the winning dessert design during this equestrian celebration! © Kelly McBride Loft