PEACH PIE SPIKED WITH MAPLE-BOURBON CARAMEL

​Makes one 9” pie
 
All Butter Pie Pastry:
 
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces
½ cup ice cold water
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Using a bench scraper, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle half of the water over the mixture, using your fingertips to incorporate the moisture into the butter/flour mixture. Add just enough additional water so that the mixture comes together. Divide the dough in half, shape into discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out one disc into a circle about 12”in diameter. Place the pie pastry in your pie plate, tucking the excess dough underneath so it is even with the edge. Crimp the edges and place the pie plate in the refrigerator. Roll out the second disc of dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, into a disc about 10” in diameter. Use a fluted cutter to cut 1” strips for the lattice top. Place the lattice on a baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
 
Maple-Bourbon Caramel: (makes about ½ cup) Adapted from Leslie Mackie
 
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
generous pinch of salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ cup good-quality maple syrup
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
 
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, brushing the sides of the pan with a pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Swirl the pan so the sugar heats evenly but do not stir.  Cook until the mixture turns amber, then carefully add the cream. The mixture will bubble up and spatter. Gradually add the maple syrup and bourbon, whisking until incorporated and the sauce has thickened slightly. Add the butter and whisk until combined. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. (It is important that the caramel is cool before you add it to the peaches and fill the pie shell. You don’t want to soften the chilled pie shell with hot caramel syrup.)
 
Peach filling:
 
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
 
5 to 6 large, ripe peaches (about 2½ lbs.) rinsed, peeled, pitted and sliced ¼” thick
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tapioca starch (if the peaches are very juicy, you can add an additional 1½ teaspoons of tapioca starch)
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
 
Place the sliced peaches in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice. In a small bowl, whisk together the tapioca starch, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Retrieve the pie shell from the refrigerator and set it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooled Maple/Bourbon Caramel and set aside. Pour the remaining caramel over the peaches, turning to coat with a rubber spatula. Gently stir in the tapioca starch/spice mixture until combined with the peaches. Use a slotted spoon to place the peaches in the pie shell. Add just enough of the juices to cover the fruit without overflowing the pie plate. (Follow Kate Lebo's good rule of thumb to leave about ½” below the top of the pie plate.) Retrieve the lattice from the refrigerator, weave the strips over the top of pie, fold the edges under and crimp so the lattice and the bottom crust are well sealed. Bake the pie on the bottom shelf of the oven for 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes, until the crust is golden and juices bubble at the edges and through the center of the pie. Cool on a rack for at least 3 hours. Drizzle the reserved Maple-Bourbon Caramel over the pie before serving.