Try out this delicious pie.
Donna Zitter Bordelon
Imagine sampling 15 pies to pick winners for best Sweet, Savory and Most Original category? What an oh-so-sweet task for judges Genevieve Guastella (pastry chef at Metropolitan Bakery) and Nancy Morozin (Dining Car owner) at Glen Foerd’s Jazz Age On The Delaware’s pie contest. And the Sweet and Original winners are:
LILIANA GRAVAGNO’S MAPLE BOURBON BROWN BUTTER PEACH PIE
Crust:
1 cup cold water (add ice), set aside
2½ cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold Whisk together flour, sugar and salt; cut butter into ½-inch pieces.
Add these ingredients to food processor (or pastry blender) to form pea-sized pieces.
Drizzle one-half of the ice water over flour-butter mixture. Mix into large lumps. Knead into a smooth ball, and divide in half. Flatten dough into discs, wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 1½ hours. (Extra dough freezes well.)
Roll out dough into 12-inch circle. Fit into pan and crimp edges.
Refrigerate ½ hour.
Filling:
3 lbs. ripe peaches (about 6), peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1½ Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
Pinch of allspice
½ cup sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp. bourbon
1 Tbsp. water
3 Tbsp. butter
Combine cornstarch, flour, cinnamon, salt and allspice in a large bowl.
Add peaches. Toss to coat. Set aside.
Combine sugar, maple syrup, bourbon and water in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir just until sugar dissolves. Allow to come to a boil but only swirl the pan occasionally so caramel browns evenly. DO NOT STIR. When amber colored, remove pan from heat, add butter and swirl the pan until melted.
Pour caramel over peaches, mix well, pour into pie crust and refrigerate pie.
Streusel topping:
1/3 cup pecans, oven-roasted 5 minutes at 350 degrees, cool, chop, set aside
1 stick butter
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Pinch cinnamon
Using the same small “filling” saucepan, melt the stick of butter over medium heat, stirring frequently until golden-brown. Set aside.
Stir together the flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon and pecans, and sprinkle over the cooled butter. Mix to form crumbs. Spread crumbs on plate. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Remove filled pie pan and streusel from refrigerator. Cover pie completely with streusel topping. Foil the exposed crust. Put pie on baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake 30–40 minutes.
Chill at least 3 hours.
KELLEY CHUBB’S MINI-APPLE PIES WITH CINNAMON CARDAMOM CRUST
Crust:
2½ cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold
½ cup light brown sugar
Cinnamon and cardamom to taste
1 cup cold water (add ice), set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt.
Dice very cold butter into ½-inch pieces, and sprinkle over flour. Work with hands to form into tiny peas.
Pack into a dough, divide in half, flatten into discs, and wrap each in plastic wrap.
Chill dough 1–2 hours or overnight.
Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom, set aside.
Roll out dough ¼- to ⅛-inch thick. Lightly sprinkle on brown sugar mixture.
Tightly roll dough into spiral. Cut into ½-inch spiral slices. Roll out each spiral into individual crusts to make mini pies in a muffin tin. Swirled crust pieces make unique pie toppers — or form lattice crusts.
Filling:
1½ lb. Granny Smith apples (about 3 medium)
2 lbs. McIntosh apples (about 4 large)
1 Tbsp. juice and 1 tsp. zest from lemon
¾ cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Peel, core and slice apples. Toss with lemon juice and zest.
Mix sugar, flour, salt and spices. Toss with apples.
Turn fruit, including juices, into greased, pastry-lined muffin tins. Top with crust pieces.
Bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees, rotate pies, reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake 5–10 minutes or until bubbly-golden-brown.
Cool at least 4 hours.
Eat well, live long, enjoy!
(Questions or tips can be sent to Donna Zitter Bordelon at [email protected] or in care of the Times, 2 Executive Campus, Suite 400, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002)
