BOOZY PEACH PRALINE PIE

BOOZY PEACH PRALINE PIE

One of summer’s fantastic fruits for baking with is peaches.  Whether it’s Michigan or The Deep South, there are literally hundreds of recipes using them.  In honor of a recent visit from family originally from Michigan, but long-time residents of Louisiana, I had the inspiration to bake a fantastic rendition on a classic peach pie.  Family being family, particularly mine, a little bit of liquor makes a good pie even better, so naturally, the peaches got broadsided with a bit of bourbon goodness. 

Giving credit where it’s due, this recipe came from one of the cookbooks my mother used fairly regularly when I was growing up:  Eet Smakelijk (1964 Edition), is a fantastic compilation of recipes published as a fundraiser by The Junior Welfare League of Holland, Michigan.  These are getting harder to find, but those of us who still have copies refer to time-honored favorites with great regularity.

The nice thing about the bourbon poached peach recipe I used is that it can be both frozen as well as canned for future use in pies, cobblers, sauces, etc.  I’m including the recipe separately for these, but you can definitely make a simple version on the stovetop for just this pie.

BOOZY PEACH PRALINE PIE:

·         1 9” Pastry Shell, Unbaked

Filling:

·         4 Cups Peaches, Sliced

·         ½ Cup Sugar

·         2 Tbs. Tapioca

·         1 tsp. Lemon Juice

Crumb Topping:

·         ½ Cup Flour

·         ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed

·         ½ Cup Pecans, Chopped

·         ¼ Cup Butter

Drizzle:

·         2 Tbs. Powdered Sugar

·         1 Tbs. Milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine peaches, sugar, tapioca, and lemon juice.  Let stand for 15 minutes.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and pecans.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle 1/3 pecan mixture on bottom of pie shell, then pour in peach mixture.  Top with remaining pecan mixture.  Bake 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.

While allowing pie to cool, mix powdered sugar and milk for drizzle.  Mixture should be thick, and additional powdered sugar may be added to firm it up.  Drizzle over the pie while still warm.

POUCHED PEACHES RECIPE:

·         6 – 8 Peaches

·         2 1/2 Cups Sugar

·         2 Tbs. Vanilla Extract

·         1 Cup Bourbon

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath. Cut a small X into the bottom of each peach. Boil peaches for 1 minute.  Transfer to ice-water bath. Let cool slightly. Peel and pit peaches, and cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges.

Bring 4 cups water, the sugar, and vanilla seeds and pods to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add peaches, vanilla, and bourbon. Simmer until peaches are tender but still hold their shape, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer peaches to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Cook syrup over medium heat until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Pour over peaches. Let cool completely.

Drain all liquid from peaches before using fruit for pies.