The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets by Lucy Baker Read Free Book Online

perfect for holiday feasts, such as Hard Cider Apple Pie and Cranberry, Chocolate, and Pecan Pie, while others—like the Rustic Fig Galette and the Plum and Hazelnut Tart—are perfect for casual cookouts in the summer months.
    A final note: All pies are better served à la mode. And à la booze!
    Hard Cider Apple Pie
    M AKES
8
SERVINGS
    MY MOTHER AND I LIKE RAISINS IN OUR APPLE PIE , but my father and my brother don’t. I have a vivid childhood memory of watching my mom divide a bowl of sliced apples in half, add raisins to one, and then pour them both side by side into a piecrust. She’s a genius, I thought. Like whoever invented half-cheese, half-pepperoni pizza.
    This recipe is a boozy take on apple cider pie, a classic New England dessert made by simmering apples in cider before pouring them into the crust. I’ve left out the raisins, but you can certainly stir in half a cup with the lemon zest if you prefer.
    FOR THE CRUST:
    2½ cups all-purpose flour
    2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    ½ teaspoon salt
    ¼ pound plus 4 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, well chilled and cut into ½-inch cubes
    1 tablespoon vodka
    6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
    2 tablespoons heavy cream
    1 tablespoon raw sugar (optional)
    FOR THE FILLING:
    2½ pounds (about 5 medium) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¾-inch slices
    ⅔ cup plus 2 tablespoons hard cider, divided
    ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
    ⅓ cup granulated sugar
    ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    3 tablespoons cornstarch
    Zest of 1 lemon
    TO MAKE THE CRUST , combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor. Give it a few good pulses to combine. Add the cubes of butter, a few at a time, and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand. Add the vodka and then the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough comes together in large clumps. Gather the dough into a ball and divide in half. Flatten each half into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
    TO MAKE THE FILLING , combine the apple slices, ⅔cup hard cider, the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved and the apples are thickly coated, about 5 minutes.
    Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons hard cider with the cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the apples and boil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the liquid is thick and clear. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon zest, and allow the mixture to cool for 30 minutes.
    Remove both halves of the pie dough from the refrigerator. On a clean, well-floured work surface, roll one disk of the dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate. Pour the apple mixture into the crust.
    Roll the second half of the dough into a 12-inch circle and transfer it to the top of the pie. Pinch the edges of the top and bottom crusts together. Trim any excess dough, leaving ½-inch overhang. Crimp the edges decoratively with a fork and cut three 2-inch vents in the center of the top crust. Transfer the pie to the freezer and chill for 1 hour, or until it is very cold and the crust is firm to the touch.
    Preheat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the lower third. Brush the top of the pie with the heavy cream and sprinkle with the raw sugar, if using. Bake the pie 20 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake another 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. (If the edges of the pie brown too quickly, tent them with aluminum foil.)
    Cool the pie on a wire rack before serving.
    SHAKE IT UP: Substitute beer or lambic (Belgian raspberry beer) for the hard cider.
    Cherry Pie with Scotch and Walnut Crumble
    M AKES
8
SERVINGS
    ON MY TWENTY-SECOND BIRTHDAY, A FRIEND OF MINE bought me a glass of scotch at a bar. It was the