Southern Comfort Apple Pie

This was the best apple pie I've ever made.



Southern Comfort Apple Pie
adapted from the Pastry Queen cookbook

1 pie crust (bottom crust only, whatever recipe (or store-bought version) you like best)

Topping:


1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c flour
1/2 c chilled butter, diced
1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted


-In a food processor (or mini chopper, like I have), process the sugars, cinnamon, salt, and flour for 1 minute.  Add the butter, and pulse until mixture is crumbly.  Stir in pecans by hand, and then refrigerate topping until ready to use.


Filling:

6 large, tart apples (I used a mix of Granny Smith and Braeburn)
1/2 c butter
2 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 c sugar
3/4 c Southern Comfort liqueur
1/2 c heavy cream

-Preheat oven to 375.
-Place pie crust in deep-dish pie plate, and put pie plate on a baking sheet, in case your caramel bubbles over in the oven.  (Mine did.)  Cover a second, and maybe third, baking sheet with foil, to place your sauteed apples on in a minute.  (The foil makes for easy clean-up.)
-Peel, core, and slice your apples into 1/4-inch thick slices.
-Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  When it starts to foam, add the apples and saute for 5-7 minutes.
-In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and sugar.  Sprinkle the mixture over the apples, stir to combine, and saute for 2-3 minutes.
-Remove apples from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving as much of the butter mixture in the skillet as possible.  Arrange the apples on the foil-lined baking sheets in a single layer until ready to use.  (Heaping them in a pile will make them soggy.)
-Pour the Southern Comfort into the butter mixture in the skillet.  Simmer the mixture over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the alcohol burns off.  (If it burns your nose when you smell it at close range, keep simmering!)
-Add the cream and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes while the mixture thickens.  Return the apples to the skillet, and stir to coat.
-Pour the apple/caramel mixture into the pie crust, being sure not to fill it to more than 1/2 an inch below the top of the crust.  Sprinkle evenly with the topping.
-Bake 50-60 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the topping is brown.
-Serve with vanilla ice cream.