If I had to pick a favorite pie I think it would be Dutch apple.  Or maybe pumpkin with lots of whipped cream.  Oh no wait, blackberry.  Ooo, buttermilk pie with fresh peaches.  Lemon meringue. Pecan.  Ahh I can’t choose!

The moral of this short story is. I. LOVE. PIE. and you will be seeing a LOT of them this fall, winter, and holiday season!  Bring on the pie!!

What makes pie even better? Bourbon of course! 🙂 Don’t use your special occasion bourbon here but definitely go for something sweet and caramely.

Bourbon Dutch Apple Pie

1 store-bought deep dish pie crust*
3 apples**, peeled, cored and sliced thin
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Dash of cloves
2 Tablespoons bourbon
Pinch of salt

Crumb topping:
6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
¼ cup flour
¼ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup oats
¼ cup walnuts, chopped
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a large bowl, toss apples with brown sugar, granulated sugar, and next 6 ingredients (through bourbon). Set aside while you make the crumb topping.

In another bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender or fork, blend in butter until everything starts to clump together. Stir in oats, walnuts and a pinch of salt. Press together to make clumps.

Pour apples into prepared pie crust. Cover the apples with the crumb topping, pressing down to seal the apples in. Place pie on a rimmed cookie sheet (to catch anything that might bubble over, your oven will thank you!) and bake for 45 minutes or until juices are bubbly and topping is browned. Check your pie after 25-30 minutes and cover with aluminum foil if it starts to brown too quickly.

Remove pie from oven and let cool for at least an hour before slicing and serving.

*I love to make pie crust but sometimes I just don’t have the time for it. There are a lot of great store-bought pie crusts out there that are great for short cuts! I prefer buying a package of rolled pie crusts from the refrigerated aisle at my grocery. I pop them in my own pie dish so I don’t feel like I’m cheating!  If you have a favorite pie crust recipe feel free to use it here!

**I used Gala apples because that’s what I had around. You can use any kind of apples you enjoy. Make sure to taste your apples and add a little more sugar if they’re super tart. Stay away from McIntosh apples as they are too soft and will turn to mush when you bake them.

Source: Ruth’s Table, 2018.