Juicy peaches, sweet basil, and quality bourbon combine to make a delicious pie that is the epitome of summertime.
For the pie dough:
- 2 cups flour
- 3 Tbs. sugar
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 4 – 6 Tbs. ice water*
- Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender (a fork works too), incorporate the chilled butter into the dry ingredients until nothing larger than the size of a pea remains. Add 3 Tbs. of the ice water and work into the dough, adding more water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together.**
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour, if not overnight.
- Repeat this process again to create a second disc of dough for the top crust.
- When ready to make the pie, lightly flour a work surface and roll one of the dough discs to slightly less than ¼ inch. Place into a 9-inch pie plate, trimming edges to leave only a 1-inch over hang. Prick with fork and place in freezer while filling is prepared.
- For the second crust, roll to slightly less than ¼ inch and place on parchment or silicone mat lined baking tray and place in fridge to rest.
For the filling:
- 2/3 cup good quality bourbon, such as Bulleit
- 1 oz. Ernessi Farms Basil
- 5 ripe peaches
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 3 Tbs. cornstarch
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Thinly slice peaches and place in a large glass bowl, set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat the bourbon over medium-high heat until it reduces by half. Add basil and steep for 20 minutes.
- Remove basil and discard. Return bourbon to medium-low heat, adding brown sugar and whisking until smooth. Once mixture has begun to simmer, remove from heat and stir in butter and salt.
- Pour a small amount of bourbon mixture into cornstarch and whisk until smooth.*** Return to pan, stirring constantly over heat, until mixture is smooth and thick – about one minute.
- Pour mixture over peaches and stir to coat.
- Arrange slices in prepared piecrust, forming layers of concentric circles to avoid air pockets. Pour whatever liquid remains over peaches before topping with second piecrust. Cut the top overhang evenly and fold over into pie plate before crimping edges to seal. Using a paring knife, make small slits in the top to help release steam.****
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg yolk and 1 Tbs. water and brush this egg wash atop the second piecrust. Sprinkle generously with coarse sugar.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes before reducing heat to 375 degrees and baking for another 25 – 30 minutes. If at any point the edges or crust become too dark, cover with a pie ring or aluminum foil for the remainder of the bake.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 90 minutes before serving with fresh ice cream or whipped cream.
- Once fully cooled, pie can be stored at room temperature for one day before the crust may begin to become soggy from excess juice.
*To create the right amount of ice water for pie crust, fill a large glass measuring cup with ice and top with water. Use a tablespoon measure to remove only what’s necessary for the recipe and discard the rest.
**Don’t be afraid to work the dough when adding water, the time in the fridge will allow the dough to rest and gluten to relax. It is better to work the dough more and add less water – as too much liquid will create a tough and chewy crust.
***When creating a slurry (the cornstarch and liquid mixture), it is best to whisk in liquid a little bit at a time to avoid creating large lumps.
****If a lattice top is desired simply cut the second piecrust into long strips. Place the longest strip in the middle of the pie, running top to bottom, followed by the next longest on either side, working all the way across the pie. Fold every other piece over on itself before adding another slice of crust running in the opposite, left to right, direction, then return to laying flat. When adding the second piece running from left to right, fold the pieces over running top and bottom that were originally laying flat, then back down again, creating the basket-like weave. For an illustrated look at this, The Kitchn has an in-depth tutorial and video.
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-a-lattice-pie-crust-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-191672
This recipe was adapted from Erin McDowell’s “The Fearless Baker”
