Open-Faced Apple Pie

Serves

If making pie crust is a deal breaker for you, this might be the perfect solution. Here's all the flavor of a traditional apple pie, without the top crust — and now that almost every market sells frozen pie shells, you don't have to make you own bottom pastry crust, either! If you'd like to make your own, try our easy Sweet Pastry Dough or Whole Wheat Pastry Dough. In this pie, apples and raisins join with bourbon and lemon for a very tasty twist on the classic recipe. Try serving it with our Rich Vanilla Custard (or a scoop of ice cream is delicious, too).

Ingredients

1   pastry dough (for a 9-inch single-crust pie)
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 lemon (grated zest)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 3/4 pounds tart apples, such as Granny Smith (peeled, cored and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices, 6 to 7 cups)
2 tablespoons melted butter
  Rich Vanilla Custard or ice cream (to serve, optional)

Directions

Place the raisins, sugars, flour, bourbon, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl and stir to blend. Add the apples and toss to coat. Let the mixture rest until juices form, stirring once or twice, 10 to 20 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Line the pie pan with the pastry dough and crimp the edge decoratively. Place the pie pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the apple filling mixture to the pie crust. The fruit will collapse during cooking, so don't worry if it seems very full. Drizzle the filling evenly with the melted butter.

Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking until the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 45 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Serve warm with Rich Vanilla Custard or ice cream, if desired.