Drunken Apple Pie Laced w/Bacon

Every year I am asked to bake a pie for a Baked Items Auction.  It is a fundraiser for the local fire department.  The first year I really didn’t have time to bake from scratch so I cheated. Yep, store bought crust and canned apple pie filling.   I also added a bag of kitchen gadgets to be auctioned off with the pie.  It contained wooden spoons, whisks, apple corer, Pyrex pie dish etc.  The pie was delivered to the auction fresh out of oven.   This pie was a big hit and raised a rather large amount of money at the auction.  Later on, I learned it was won by the village mayor and that his wife wanted a copy of the recipe.  Of course I sent her the quick and dirty details, swearing her to protect the family secret recipe and explaining the long history and nature of said recipe.

The next year, when I was asked to make a pie for the auction again, I repeated the same recipe only adding one minor change to the crust.   I spelled out the word Mayor in pie crust as a pie crust decoration.  Hoping this would entice the bidders to try and win the mayors pie.  It was a success.  

The third year, I again went through all the trouble to make the pie, but missed the auction by one day.   My family enjoyed the pie immensely.   

I have again been asked to make a pie.  So, I have been talking about it for a couple a weeks now.   Thinking I might try adding bacon to my good old secret recipe. People either seem grossed out by the fact of the bacon or gung ho and can’t wait to taste it. 

 

This year, I have decided to kick it up a notch.  My apple pie filling has taken a walk to the local bar for a couple of shots of Evan Williams Apple Orchard Bourbon, while taking a slow fry in a few teaspoons of bacon grease.  I have also swapped out the top pie crust for a crumb topping with fresh crispy bacon bits.

I personally don’t know what those nay sayers are thinking, but it sounds very yummy to me.  Top a slice of this off with a dollop of whip cream and I am good to go.   

 

 

Here is the recipe.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Drunken Apple Pie Laced w/Bacon (recipe will make two pies, one for eating and one for sharing)

Ingredients

2 deep dish pie crust, baked off

Filling

3 cans your favorite apple pie filling
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 tbsp. bacon grease
4 shots, your favorite bourbon

Crumb Topping

1 cup fresh crispy bacon bits
1 cup unsalted butter, really cold, cubed
3/4 cup sugar
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400°.   Bake off your pie crust.   I line my crusts with aluminum foil and fill them with dried beans, baked in the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and lift out aluminum foil filled with beans.   Let cool.

In small sauce pot on top of the stove,  add bacon grease, cinnamon, bourbon and apple pie filling.  Cook over low to medium heat until thickened.   Pour evenly into two crusts.   Let cool.

Make the topping in a food processor.   Measure in flour, sugar, salt.  Whir a couple of times to mix it up.   Then add cold cubes of butter. Whir until blended and looks like course sand.   Remove to bowl and stir in bacon bits.   Divide evenly and place ontop of pies.   Bake for 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

If crust is getting too brown, you can use a pie crust ring or circle of aluminum foil to prevent further browning. 

 

Remove from oven, let cool.  Serve with dollop of whip cream or a side of vanilla ice cream.   

Notes and Swaps

·         Use your favorite pie crust recipe or one purchased at the store
·         Make your own filling or use one from the can
·         Top with a crust or with a crumb topping
·         Use oatmeal in your crumb topping for a different flavor and texture
·         Use your favorite kind of bourbon or other alcohol or none at all





For more recipes, click the button below:



 

Follow me on Facebook
 

Or find me on Pinterest

 

 Click this image to subscribe

 

 

Join me on Google+

 

 

 

 

From the bottom of my heart.............. 

 

 

Puddle Jumping and Mud Pies

What could be more fun than puddle jumping and mud pies?  

My 16 month old great niece enjoying puddle jumping.   

Well the answer is Fudge Puddles and Miniature Pies.  One of my favorite cookie recipes is from my mother in law.  She called it an Italian Fudge Roll.  I just switched it up a little and turned it into a small tart and call it Fudge Puddles. 

My mother-in-laws recipe suggested making the dough, rolling it out into a rectangle shape and then form the filling onto 1/3 of rectangle and roll it as you would a sausage roll.   Then bake it off and slice it into cookies.   

I however, prefer to press the dough into my mini muffin cups and then fill with the fudge filling.  I also like to use this dough recipe and fill it with other fillings.   As you can see in the photo below I made both Fudge Puddles and then using the same dough filled them with apple pie filling and topped with a streusel topping.

Mini Apple Pie Tarts and Fudge Puddles

Fudge Puddles

Dough
2 sticks of butter
1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
2 cups flour
Filling
1 12-ounce package chocolate chips
1 15-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped walnuts Mix ingredients for dough in order given on low in mixer.  Once the dough has formed remove from bowl.  Shape into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap.   Place in refrigerator to rest.    Heat oven to 350 degrees. While the dough is firming up place the ingredients for the filling in  small sauce pan.  Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until chips are melted. Pinch off small amounts of dough and place them in the mini muffin pan.   Use the wooden form to push dough down and form a cup.     Do this for all remaining muffin cups.   Using the smallest cookie scoop available fill each cup with Fudge mixture.  Place in oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until dough is slightly browned.   Can also use other fillings: ·         Apple Pie ·         Lemon Curd ·         Chicken Salad ·         Use Peanut Butter or Butterscotch chips in place of Chocolate chips in filling mixture. ·         Quiche fillings ·         Your favorite  pie filling ·         Your favorite fudge filling    This dough is very versatile and goes with any flavor sweet or savory. It is also very forgiving and comes out perfect every time unlike regular pie crust.   Give it a try and let me know how you like it and what you like to fill it with.      Pecan Tarts Here is a similar recipe for Pecan Tassies and Chocolate Cups Click on recipe image to open photo.  Right click on photo to save to your computer for printing. Raspberry Almond Tarts  And another recipe with a different flavor profile....  Click on recipe to open photo.  Right click on photo to save to your computer.  For more recipes, click the button below:  Follow me on Facebook   Or find me on Pinterest  Click this image to subscribe Join me on Google+ From the bottom of my heart..............