Hazelnut Praline Dutch Apple Pie with Hand-Twirled Crust

Ingredients

Pie Crust

• 2 1/2
  
  cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2
  
  teaspoons sugar
  
• 3/4
  
  teaspoon salt
  
• 1
  
  cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (keep in the freezer until ready to use)
  
• 1/3
  
  cup whiskey (or use equal amount of ice water), plus an additional 1 to 4 tablespoons as needed
  

Filling (the first 4 ingredients listed below) and Praline (the rest)

• 2
  
  pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
  
• 1 1/2
  
  pounds Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
  
• 1/4
  
  cup sugar
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/8
  
  teaspoon salt
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1/4
  
  cup heavy cream
  
• 2/3
  
  cup hazelnuts, chopped medium-fine
  
• 6
  
  tablespoons brown sugar
  
• 6
  
  tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon salt
  
• 2
  
  teaspoons vanilla
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon cinnamon
  

Directions

1. For the pie dough, pulse together flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.
2. Blend in butter by dropping a cube at a time into the food processer, just until most of the mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps.
3. Drizzle 1/3 cup whiskey over the mixture and pulse a few times until incorporated.
4. Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn’t hold together, add more whiskey 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until just incorporated, then test again. Do not overwork the dough, or the pastry will be tough.
5. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. With the heel of your hand, smear the dough once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat.
6. Gather dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and press into a ball. Divide in half and form into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
7. For the pecan praline, place all praline ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.
8. Once the pie dough has chilled, grease a pie plate and roll out the bottom crust. Fit it into the plate, trimming the edge, folding it under, and then pinching it into a fluted design. Place the bottom crust into the fridge to chill for 40 minutes.
9. For the filling, combine the peeled, cored and sliced apples in a large mixing bowl with the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Toss to combine.
10. Heat the butter in a dutch oven over medium-high heat until the foaming subsides. Add the apple mixture and cook with the lid on for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the apples have softened. Place a colander over a large bowl and drain the apples, shaking a bit to get as much juice drained as possible. Set the apples aside.
12. Return the juices to the dutch oven and add the heavy cream. Heat the mixture over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Continue cooking and stirring the juice/cream mixture until it’s thick enough that a wooden spoon leaves a trail in the mixture. This should be about 5 minutes.
13. Heat the oven to 375° F. Prep a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (this will help catch any drips).
14. To assemble the pie, first press the hazelnut praline into the bottom crust. Spoon in the filling, then spoon the cream mixture over top. You may have extra.
15. For the top crust, roll out the second disk of dough into an oblong shape and cut long pieces approximately 1/4-inch wide to form ribbons.
16. Twirl the pieces into designs of your choice. When you need to add on to a strip, moisten both its end and the end of the new strip.
17. Optional: Sprinkle the finished top crust with cinnamon sugar.
18. Place the pie on the parchment-paper lined pan, then into the oven to bake for 20 minutes. Check the pie, then bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the top crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.