Shelly's Recipe

SOUTHERN COMFORT APPLE PIE WITH RUM SPIKED CARAMEL SAUCE

Category: Pies - Fruit

Topping
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup (5 1/3 T.) chilled unsalted butter

Pie Crust
2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2/3 cup
chilled unsalted butter
4 to 5 Tbsp ice water

Apple Filling
5 to 6 medium-size tart apples, such as Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Winesap
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup Southern Comfort liqueur
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Caramel Sauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp dark rum, optional

To make the topping: Preheat the oven to 350. Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Coarsely chop the nuts.

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process both sugars, the cinnamon, salt, and flour for about 1 minute. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the sugar-flour mixture. Pulse about 10 to 15 times, until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the pecans. Refrigerate the topping covered, in a medium bowl until ready to use.

To making the pie crust: Preheat the oven to 425. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, and sugar on low speed about 30 seconds. Cut the chilled butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the butter to the flour mixture and combine on low speed about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until the mixture looks crumbly, with bits of dough the size of peas. Add 4 tbsp ice water, 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing on low speed for 10 seconds after each addition. After the last addition, the dough should begin to clump together in a ball. If it doesn't, continue mixing about 10 seconds longer. If it still looks too dry, add an additional 1 Tbsp ice water. Gently mold the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Line a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with the pie dough. Press it into place and crimp the outside edges with your fingers or a fork. Set aside.

To make the filling: Increase the oven temperature to 375. Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the apples and saute for 5 to 8 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle it on the apples and stir to combine. Simmer the apples over medium-low heat about 1 minute longer. Remove the apples from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving as much of the butter-sugar mixture in the skillet as possible. Transfer the apples to a baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. (If heaped in a pile, the hot apples will steam-cook and become soggy.)

Pour the Southern Comfort into the butter-sugar mixture in the skillet. Simmer the mixture over medium heat at least 5 minutes, until the alcohol burns off (carefully sniff the mixture at close range; if it burns the insides of your nostrils, the vapors are still burning off).

Add the cream and continue cooking about 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is as thick as pourable caramel. Return the apples to the skillet. Pour the apple filling into the unbaked pie crust and sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is brown. Serve the pie warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: Excess pie crust scraps are excellent rolled out and dusted generously with cinnamon and sugar mix. Pop them into the oven at 425 for 10 minutes, until brown on the edges. They never last in my house past the first day.

To make the Caramel Sauce: Heat the sugar over medium heat in a heavy-duty saucepan or iron skillet until it is completely melted and turns amber in color, about 5 minutes.

Decrease the heat to low, add the butter all at once, and stir to combine. (It will bubble up.) Add the cream, a couple of tablespoons at a time, stirring to combine between each addition.

Adding the cream slowly keeps the caramel from clumping. Continue stirring until the caramel sauce is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. You'll have about 1 1/2 cups of caramel sauce. Caramel can be stored in a covered glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Reheat it in the microwave