Bourbon Apple Pie

May 20

I’m pretty sure the adage “an apple a day keeps the doctors away” applies to apple pies as well! 🍎🍏

“The crust is the most important part.”

— Mama

Grandma’s Pie Crust

2 1/2 (300 grams) of AP Flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

4 Tablespoons shortening, chilled (…or lard if we could get our hands on it!)

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg

1 Tablespoon vinegar

Icy cold water

Cut shortening into flour and sugar using a pastry cutter or 2 knives moving in opposite directions until it resembles course sand. (Food processor is great too; just giving Grandma’s method!)
Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or two knives moving in opposite directions, cut butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with butter bits no larger than peas.
Create a well in the center of your mixture and set aside
In small bowl, combine egg, vinegar, and icy cold water.
Pour egg liquid in the well of your flour mixture and gently toss and mix flour together with the liquid.Do this until the dough just begins to clump together.
Form into two balls and then flatten them into 4” disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes while you prepare the fruit.
Roll out a disk on floured surface and gently place in pie plate. Add the filling… recipe below!
Lattice the top crust, crimp edges and then freeze pie for 30 minutes.
Bake as directed below.

Every pie looks better with a lattice top. Check out this short video on how to do just that!

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2” wedges

4 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2” wedges

2 Tablespoon bourbon

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 Tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 Tablespoons arrowroot or AP flour, dissolved in a little water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix it all together and load the pie shell.
Roll out second disk of crust and cut 1/2” or 1” wide strips. Create lattice top by alternating the ribbons from both sides.
Using a fork dipped in water or your thumb pressed against two fingers on your other hand, crimp the entire circumference of the crust.
Freeze entire pie for 30 minutes and then place in the 425 degree oven. Be sure to place a cookie sheet lined with foil on the lower rack to catch the drips (drips are good!).
After 15 minutes, lower oven to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.
At 45 minutes, brush surface of pie carefully and quickly with an egg wash (equal parts egg white and water whipped together) sprinkle with raw sugar. I like to have a partner in this step (one to brush, one to sprinkle) because the egg wash dries up quickly and you need it “wet” for the sugar to stick.
Bake another 15 minutes until insides are bubbling! Note: If your crust edges become too dark, cover with foil.
Remove from oven and cool for 1 hour before serving.