There’s something very special about the combination of sweet peaches, bourbon, and savory rosemary. I like to top this pie with a tightly woven lattice, but you can just make a classic double-crust pie.
Makes one 9-inch double-crust pie
Difficulty: Medium
Make Ahead and Storage: This pie can be baked up to 1 day ahead and stored, loosely covered, at room temperature (any longer, and the crisp texture of the crust suffers, absorbing too much moisture from the filling).
1. Roll out one disk of dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan (see For a double-crust pie for more details). Roll out the second disk as directed here and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill the crusts while you prepare the filling.
2. Make the filling: Put the peaches in a medium heatproof bowl. In a medium saucepan, bring the bourbon (see Pro Tips) to a boil over medium heat and boil until reduced to 60 g / ¼ cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the rosemary and simmer for 1 minute, then take the pan off the heat and let steep for 15 minutes.
3. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs, return the pan to the stove, and bring the bourbon to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and simmer until the mixture is thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter and salt.
4. Put the cornstarch in a small heatproof bowl and pour in a few tablespoons of the bourbon mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the slurry back into the bourbon mixture, whisking well to combine, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 1 minute.
5. Pour the bourbon mixture over the peaches, tossing gently to coat the fruit.
6. Arrange the filling in the chilled piecrust: If you place the slices in overlapping concentric circles, like a rosette, there will be fewer air pockets, reducing the chance of the top crust collapsing after baking. Once you reach the upper rim of the pie pan, begin to make smaller circles to mound the filling slightly higher in the center to give the baked pie the classic domed look. Pour any juices over the surface of the fruit.
7. Transfer the prepared top crust to the filled pie—you can use it as a solid top crust (see For a double-crust pie) or make a lattice top (see Making a Lattice Crust). Press the edges of the top and bottom crust gently together to seal, then trim the excess dough away, leaving a ½-inch overhang. Tuck the overhang under itself all the way around the pie. Crimp the edges of the pie as desired (see Make it Pretty: Crimping a Piecrust). Chill the pie for 20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator or for 10 to 15 minutes in the freezer.
8. Preheat the oven to 425°F / 218°C, preferably with a baking stone on the bottom rack.
9. Lightly brush the top and edges of the piecrust with the egg wash. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar.
10. Bake the pie on the stone or bottom rack until the crust is deeply golden and the filling bubbles up through the vents in the top crust or the lattice, 45 to 50 minutes. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F / 190°C and/or tent the pie with aluminum foil. Cool the pie for at least 30 minutes before serving.
✻ Why It Works
Reducing the bourbon gives you all the boozy flavor without making a soupy pie. As with all fruit pies, the level of juiciness depends on the ripeness of the fruit. The cornstarch helps thicken the juices during baking, but it needs to come to a boil to have the proper thickening effect (and “cook out” any pasty flavor), so that bubbling of the juices at the end is important.
★ Pro Tips
I don’t peel my peaches, plums, or nectarines—I love the texture of their skins in baked goods and the beautiful color they lend as well. But if you’re not a fan, feel free to peel.
If you have really juicy peaches, drain the juices from the slices and add the juice to the bourbon when it’s reducing—that way you make the most of that peachy flavor without watering down your pie.