My friend Michael Procopio, who has good taste in food and wine, thought apples and whiskey made a better-tasting, and much more American, blend than the apples and red wine I’d originally used in this pie. He was right. This is a decidedly adult dessert, and if you have some bourbon left, throw a splash into the whipped cream that tops each slice.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Basic All-American Pie Dough for a 9-inch two-crust pie (page 20)
6 or 7 Golden Delicious Apples, 2½ to 3 pounds
⅓ cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup bourbon whiskey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Whipped Cream (page 39), for serving
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll out half the dough for the bottom crust and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out the remaining dough for the top crust and set it aside on a sheet of waxed paper.
To make the filling, peel, halve, and core the apples, then cut them into slices ¼ to ⅓ inch thick; you should have 7 to 8 cups. Set aside. In a saucepan of at least 4-quart capacity, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the bourbon and lemon juice and whisk until evenly blended. Place over medium-high heat and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture boils and thickens slightly. Add the apples and stir and toss to coat them evenly with the bourbon mixture. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Pour the apple mixture into the dough-lined pan, mounding it slightly in the center. Scatter the butter over the fruit. Cover with the top crust, then trim and flute the edges (see page 22). With the point of a sharp knife, slash several vents in the top for steam to escape.
Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for about 45 minutes longer, or until the crust is browned, the juices are bubbling, and the fruit is tender when pierced with a knife inserted through one of the vents.
Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream.