HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

I couldn’t have planned this out any better, without planning it. This post marks my 101st post!!!! WHAAAAT?!?!?! I can’t believe it. It’s been so fun consistently blogging, and it’s helped my photography business quite a bit. Here’s to hundreds more posts in the future!!! Moving on…

This year I think it’s time for me to get a bit serious about my baking/cooking skills, but one thing that I’ve loved making since I really started doing it is pie! I’m not the biggest cake fan, but I love PIE, especially this bourbon browned butter peach pie! I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which is kind of a problem around this time of year after I’ve make new years resolutions to be better about how much “junk food” I eat.

Anyways.

This is one of my favorite pies to make! It takes a bit of effort, and last time I made it, I wanted to throw my pie crust against the wall after having to roll it out 5 times, but it’s SO good, and you better believe I ate a good majority of it. Let’s talk ingredients first– (i’ll add own comments with these too, no worries).

Bourbon Browned Butter Peach Pie

For the Filling:
3 lbs ripe peaches (about 6 peaches) – OR if you’re lazy like me, I just use about two and a half jars of peaches, like the ones you can get at Costco.
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of allspice
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C Maple syrup (the real stuff, guys! No Aunt Jimena)
3 Tbsp Bourbon
1 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp butter

For the streusel:
1/3 C Pecans
1/2 C butter (1 stick)
1 C and 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 C sugar
3 Tbsp packed dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of cinnamon

For the crust:
1 1/4 C flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C butter (1 stick) cut into 1/4 inch cubes

Directions:
1. We’re going to make the pie filling first! Cut and peal (or drain and rinse if you use the jarred) your peaches and toss them in a bowl with the cornstarch, flour, cinnamon, salt, and allspice.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, maple syrup, bourbon, and water. (NOTE: don’t take a big wiff while you’re adding the bourbon. It’s not a pleasant smell. HA!) Stir just until the sugar dissolves then let it come to a boil. Swirl the pan to make sure it’s browning evenly, but DO NOT STIR.
4. Once it is a deep amber brown, remove from heat and add in the butter. Swirl the pan until the butter is melted completely.
5. Pour the caramel over the peaches. Mix well, and then place the bowl into the fridge to help cool it down.
6. Sprinkle the pecan on a baking sheet and roast in the over for 5 minutes. Removed and set aside after to allow to cool, then chop.

This always smells SOOOO good!!!
7. In the same sauce pan that the caramel was made, melt a stick of butter, stirring frequently, until it turns a golden brown (this smells delicious! Sniff away!!) Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
8. Mix together the 1 C + 2 Tbsp flower, 1/2 C sugar, 3 Tbsp dark brown sugar, 1/4 tsp salt and cinnamon. Mix in the pecans. Drizzle the cooled browned butter over top, and mix until crumbs form. Crumble the streusel mixture on a cooking sheet, and then place into the fridge for 15 minutes.
Next, we’ll move onto the crust.
9. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
10. In a stand mixer, fir the mixer with a flat beater and stir together the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl. Add the butter and toss with a fork to coat with the flour mixture. Mix on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with the butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and mix on low speed just until the dough pulls together.
11. On a flat work surface, pat the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Lightly flour the surface and the dust the top of the dough or rolling pin with flour as needed. Roll out into a round at least 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick.
12. Add the cooled filling into the pie crust, then add the cooled streusel on top of that. LIGHTLY Cover with aluminum foil, and place into the oven (MAKE SURE to put a baking pan underneath, or a pie drip catcher or it will make a giant mess).
13. After 15 minutes, turn the oven heat down to 350 degrees F, remove the foil, a bake for another 30-40 minutes (though mine usually takes about 50-55). The crust should be golden and the caramel should be bubbling.

14. COOL FOR AT LEAST 3 hours. This is the hardest part of the whole process, but if you cut into it too soon, it’s just a big nasty mess.

Enjoy with some vanilla bean ice cream, or even just some heavy cream! It’s SOOOOO good!

Do you love pie? Or are you more of a cake fan!? Which is your favorite?

If you loved this recipe, check out my Magic Mushroom Chicken Recipe here!