Rum Raisin Apple Pie

Who doesn’t like booze in their dessert? My mother-in-law makes a killer rum cake. I say killer because she actually made one for me when Neil and I started dating. Not obviously able to eat an entire cake on my own, I took some to my parents. My dad had a fairly large slice and was fairly buzzed before even finishing. Turns out her technique is putting the rum in using a straw after the cake bakes, making it a fortified sponge cake of booze. Needless to say my baby brother has been asking for the recipe for parties ever since.

For those of us who like their BAC a little lower, this pie is probably the better ticket. A lightly sweet, but not too rich Rum-Raisin Apple Pie. It really starts feeling like fall once you whip up your first apple pie of the season. Almost as if on cue, the temperatures dropped when I made this on Saturday and haven’t come out of the low-sixties since. Maybe if I make another the leaves will finally start to change!

Ingredients:

For the crust (amazing tried-and-true crust from Simply Recipes):
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/2 cup finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar
6 to 8 Tbsp ice water, very cold

For the pie:
1/2 cup raisins
4-5 tablespoons dark rum
6-7 medium apples, peeled and chopped (we used Granny Smith, but you can use any in any combination)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon or orange zest
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
2 teaspoons milk
lemon juice
1 tablespoon large crystal sugar (optional)

Directions:

To make dough: Follow Dough Preparation Method Steps 1-4 on Simply Recipes

To make pie:
1. Bring rum with raisins to a boil in a saucepan. Remove heat and let stand (covered) for one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 425°F.
3. Mix together brown sugar, flour, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and break up any lumps.
4. Peel and core apples, coat lightly with lemon juice (keeps them from browning while you’re in preparation mode) then cut into 1/2-inch wedges and add to sugar mixture, tossing until all apples are coated.
5. Pull larger dough half out of refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes to soften. Roll out into into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Fit into pie plate (9-inch) and trim edge to leave a 1/2-inch overhang.
6. Roll out smaller piece of dough (with any leftovers from the other dough on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round.
7. Spoon filling evenly into shell, carefully correcting any gaps for maximum apple-age, then dot top with melted butter. Brush the edges of overhanging dough with milk, then carefully place the smaller piece of dough over the apples. Trim the uneven matching points with a knife or kitchen shears, then pinch together. (I need to work on my pinching).
8. Lightly brush top of pie with some of remaining milk and melted butter and sprinkle all over with sanding sugar (optional). Cut 3 steam vents in top crust with a small sharp knife.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until crust is a shade of golden awesome and crisp, 45 to 50 minutes more. Cool pie on a rack.

If you can believe it, which I’m sure you can from the state of my edges, this is the first time I’ve pinched a pie. I’ve always traditionally (in my impressive two years of pie making experience) weaved a lattice-pattern because I think it’s more beautiful, but I decided to pinch for the sake of marking it off my unwritten baking “must-try” list. I think I’ll stick with the lattice.

In any sense, this over-stuffed rummy-raisin pie was a success! And it was nice to have 15 minutes of fruit overstock-free counter space, which is now re-covered by two baskets of pears and a basket of habaneros from my in-laws. Free fruits and veggies anyone?*

*Must be local.

What’s your favorite way to eat pears?