Fireball Applesauce Pie

Fireball Applesauce Pie, exclusively Skirt in the Kitchen

Let’s make pie.  It’s dreary and rainy today so…  why not?!

Let’s put Fireball Cinnamon Whisky into pie dough and in fruit filling. I’m thinking–apples–applesauce, precisely.

For the dough:  I’m using my fingers, not a pastry blender or fork… Cube 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter and work into 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour along with 1/4 cup shortening and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt.

Looks like it’s ready for the iced cold water and Fireball.  See?  Fingers do the job just right.  

Here’s the whiskey–1 tablespoon.  Drip it.  With fingertips, we’ll sprinkle the cold water while incorporating with fingers.  If cavemencooked with their hands and fingers, we can, too.  Who says we can’t?  “Don’t be easy–be easy to be with”.

Make sure the dough is not too dry and not too moist.  Add just enough flour to keep it from sticking onto the pie plate.  Fist it, then use fingers along the edges. Conform it against the glass.  No rolling pin in sight–not mandatory.

Cool.  Bird slits.  We’ll stick this in a non-preheated oven, the oven being as cold as it can be.  Set and bake 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.  We can make the pie filling while this bakes a little, just to keep the dough from getting soggy when we pour the filling.

I don’t think just any applesauce will do for the over-all flavor of the pie.  This slow-cooked recipe from Martha Stewart is pretty tasty, and it is for this pie, too. We’re using 2 quarts canned applesauce for this pie.  For a thickener, stir in 1 cup all-purpose flour.

Add a pinch of salt, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon Fireball.

Get the pie shell out of the oven–it should be partially baked now. Fill it.  Let’s plop it back in and finish baking, pie and all, for 15 to 20 minutes.  We’ll keep a close watch on it so it doesn’t get too brown around the edges.

It’s lumpy now, but from the time it comes out of the oven and into the refrigerator to chill and set completely, its texture develops into a smooth pudding texture.  It’s sweeter when it’s chilled.  Served warm or cold, it should pair with vanilla ice cream.

Looks are deceiving.  It’s got that lumpy look on the top, but it’s a smooth whiskey texture throughout its interior.  You’ll know what I mean, a pudding pie.

apple a day with pie