When the weather turns cool during the fall here in Kentucky we head back indoors for most of our meals. The oven is lit and the warmth of the kitchen is a welcome relief from the air-conditioned air. If I’m lucky I can open the windows in the house during the day to let in the crisp fall breeze. October is a beautiful month to have a few friends over for dinner. When I host a dinner party it’s never very fancy, just a spread of freshly prepared food with delicious side dishes and a simple, seasonal dessert.
Deep Dish Bourbon Brown Sugar Apple Pie
From The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook
Makes one 9-inch deep dish pie
A show-stopping dessert with a single butter crust covering the dark, spiced apple filling. Bourbon adds unique flavor and character to the apples but, vanilla extract can be substituted for the bourbon if desired.
6 medium apples, peeled and sliced (about 6 cups)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Preheat the oven to 400°F. For the filling toss together the apples, lemon juice, walnuts, raisins, brown sugar, flour, bourbon, butter, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Pour the apples into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Roll out the pie dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Lift and lay it over the filling. Trim the pastry to overlap the dish’s rim by about one inch. Work around the dish rolling the pastry under itself to form a thick rim on the edge of the dish. Press the pastry to the dish’s edge to seal. Brush the dough with the egg, and sprinkle with the sugar. With a small knife, cut a v-shaped vents in the crust. Set on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the juices bubble. Serve warm or at room temperature.