This pie is both sweet and salty, which is my favorite dessert combination. As the fat renders from the bacon, it begins permeating the crust of the pie with its smoky drippings. The smoky bacon, mingling with the spiced apples and bourbon-infused crust, is heavenly.
Adding bourbon to pie dough may seem peculiar, but it works wonderfully—much better than water. When you add water to pie dough, the proteins in the flour are hydrated to form gluten, which makes the dough difficult to roll out and makes the crust tough. Alcohol inhibits gluten formation, which results in a consistent, tender, flaky crust that is easy to roll out every single time. And the aroma of bourbon as you roll this pie dough is heavenly! For those of you who worry your pies will taste like bourbon, don’t. The alcohol evaporates during baking. If you don’t have bourbon you can substitute with vodka.
Recipe notes
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