Pie for breakfast? I maybe posting this in the morning, but it was actually dessert last night — Browned Butter Maine Maple Kentucky Bourbon As American as Apple Pie. Complex but somehow very simple. Neither the maple nor the bourbon took center stage. For once, my lattice top didn’t crack. Overall, very pleased.
Ingredients
for the pastry dough and lattice
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, diced
6 tablespoons (or more) ice water
for the filling
5 tablespoons butter, cold
4 pounds baking apples, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, with a tablespoon of water for egg wash
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonful if dough is dry. Gather into ball, then divide and flatten into two disks. Wrap in plastic and chill 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 425F.
Peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/2-inch pieces (or slices, if you like). Place apples into a large bowl and toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk the melted butter until brown specks appear at the bottom. Watch closely and be careful not to burn. It should be a medium brown color and have a nutty aroma. This should take about 5 minutes. Place brown butter in a large heat-proof bowl and whisk in an ice cube. Let cool for another few minutes, then mix in the brown sugar and maple syrup until smooth. Whisk in the corn starch, and salt. Toss over the apples until they are evenly coated.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the dough disks to a 12 inch circle. Place in pie plate and crimp edges. Dock the pastry with a fork a few times, all the way to the edges. Spoon the apples onto the pie plate. Roll out the other dough disk and create a lattice crust, crimping to the bottom crust. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with a tablespoon of water. Brush over the pie dough. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, if desired. Chill pie for at least 1/2 hour before baking, particularly if the dough has softened.
Bake pie for 25 minutes before lowering oven temperature to 375F. Bake for an additional 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown. If the edges begin to darken too quickly, cover with aluminum foil to prevent additional browning.
Cool pie for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving.
