Apple Pie with Whisky-Soaked Cherries

From the kitchen of Carly

Buttery, flaky crust meets spiced apples and tart cherries soaked in Scotch whisky. The combination is both classic and unexpected, with dried fruit adding chewy pockets of flavor that cut through the sweetness. A sophisticated twist on apple pie.

Apple Pie with Whisky-Soaked Cherries

Golden Delicious apples meet whisky-soaked tart cherries in a pie that tastes like autumn got better. The trick is mounding that filling high, then letting time and heat coax the apples tender while the crust turns golden and crisp. Scotch whisky deepens the cherry flavor without announcing itself, and the cinnamon binds everything into something you want to eat warm, then again cold the next morning straight from the fridge.

Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 cupall-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cuppowdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tspbaking powder
  • 1/2 tspsalt
  • 3/4 cupchilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cupice water
  • 1 cupdried tart cherries
  • 2 tbspScotch whisky
  • 31/2 pounds medium-size Golden Delicious apples , peeled, halved, cored, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cupgolden brown sugar
  • 2 tspground cinnamon
  • 1 tbspwhipping cream beaten with 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1Heavy cream or vanilla ice cream

Instructions

  1. Combine the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor and pulse for 5 seconds. Scatter in the butter and pulse with on/off turns until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour in 1/4 cup ice water and blend until the dough clumps together in moist pieces, adding more ice water a teaspoon at a time if it looks dry. Turn it out, gather into a ball, divide in half, and press each half into a disk. Wrap both in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

  2. While the dough chills, position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together the cherries and Scotch whisky and leave them to soak for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the golden brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly coated, then fold in the cherry mixture.

  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk out to a 13-inch round and lay it into a 9-inch glass pie dish. Mound the filling into the crust, piling it high. Roll the second disk to a 13-inch round and drape it over the top. Tuck and press the two overhangs together to seal, then crimp the edge decoratively. Brush the cream and sugar glaze over the top crust, leaving the crimped edge bare, and cut several small slits through the top to vent steam.

  4. Slide the pie into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then shield the crust edge with foil and continue baking until the apples are tender, about 50 minutes more. Let the pie cool for 30 minutes before slicing, and serve warm or at room temperature alongside heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Keep your dough disks cold. Work fast after rolling, especially on warm days, or the butter will soften and your crust won't have those flaky, distinct layers.
  • Don't skip the 30-minute rest for the whisky-soaked cherries. The alcohol softens them and they'll release their juice into the filling, giving you a deeper flavor and better texture throughout.
  • If your filling looks dangerously high when you mound it, that's right. Golden Delicious apples release a lot of liquid as they bake, so the mound will settle into the crust and cook through evenly.
  • Cover the crust edge with foil about halfway through baking to prevent dark browning while the apples finish cooking underneath.

Variations

  • Bourbon instead of Scotch: Use bourbon whisky for a sweeter, softer finish and slightly different depth against the tart cherries.
  • All-cherry filling: Swap half the apples for another cup of dried cherries, soaked together in the whisky. You'll get a jewel-toned pie with more intense fruit flavor and less liquid release.
  • Brown sugar crust: Mix 2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar into the flour mixture for a deeper, slightly caramel-forward crust that plays against the apples.
  • Spiced topping: Add 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, nutmeg, or cloves to the apple mixture for a warming note that lifts the whisky and cherry pairing.

Make ahead and storage

Keep leftover pie covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or wrap well and refrigerate for up to 4 days. It's excellent cold or gently warmed. Freezing is not recommended due to the high filling moisture, which can make the crust soggy on thaw.