Maple Bourbon Brown Butter Peach Pie — The Dessert That Belonged on That Table

Fourth of July, year three. The tradition grows. Thirty people this year. I need more chairs. Started the cook at midnight. Three briskets. Yes, three. Two for the crowd, one for Ma, who will take the leftovers home and portion them into her freezer and eat brisket for two weeks. She does this every year. The woman survived eleven days on a boat with no food. She will never waste a single bite for the rest of her life. The guest list has expanded beyond my neighborhood: Hector brought his brother's family. Ray brought his cousin. Tam Nguyen brought his mother, who is eighty-three and speaks no English and sat next to Ma and they had a conversation in Vietnamese that lasted two hours. I don't know what they talked about. I didn't ask. Old Vietnamese women talking to each other is a sacred thing and you don't interrupt it. Tyler was on grill duty — burgers and hot dogs for the kids who don't want brisket (they exist, God help them). He's grown into the role. Confident at the flat-top, knows his temps, doesn't panic. He also DJ'd, playing music from a Bluetooth speaker — a mix of current pop (for the teenagers), classic country (for me), and Vietnamese bolero (for the moms). The playlist was terrible and perfect. Emma made a dessert: Vietnamese coffee popsicles. She'd made the base the night before — strong Vietnamese coffee mixed with condensed milk, frozen in molds. They were incredible. Rich, sweet, coffee-bitter, creamy. Thirty people ate them and asked for the recipe. Emma wrote it down in her notebook and made copies. My thirteen-year-old is distributing recipes at parties. I've created a monster. Lily ran the sparkler distribution. She appointed herself sparkler captain and handed them out to every kid with the seriousness of a quartermaster. When a five-year-old started waving one too close to his face, Lily confiscated it and said, "Safety first." She's her mother's daughter when it comes to rules. The fireworks faded at 10 PM. The neighbors went home full. The yard was trashed. I cleaned up in the dark, picking up paper plates and crushed La Croix cans, and I felt the specific satisfaction of having fed thirty people with food I made with my hands. This is what I know how to do. This is what I'm for.

Emma’s Vietnamese coffee popsicles got the standing ovation that night — and they earned every bit of it. But for a party this size, on a night this warm, with people this happy, you also want something you can set in the middle of the table and let people cut into themselves. This Maple Bourbon Brown Butter Peach Pie is exactly that: it’s July in a dish, it smells like a backyard is supposed to smell, and the bourbon gives it just enough edge to remind the adults they’re not eating at the kids’ table. Make it the night before, same as Emma made her base — it only gets better.

Maple Bourbon Brown Butter Peach Pie

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 55 min | Total Time: 1 hr 25 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 double-crust pie dough (homemade or store-bought), chilled
• 6 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (about 6 medium peaches)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (for topping)

Instructions

1. Brown the butter. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 4—5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
2. Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the sliced peaches, maple syrup, bourbon, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Drizzle in the browned butter and toss gently until everything is evenly coated. Let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Prepare the crust. Preheat oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of pie dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, letting the excess hang over the edges. Roll out the second disc for the top crust.
4. Fill and top. Pour the peach filling into the bottom crust, spreading evenly. Lay the top crust over the filling. Trim any excess dough to about 1/2 inch beyond the rim, then fold and crimp the edges together to seal. Cut 4—5 small slits in the top crust to vent steam.
5. Egg wash and sugar. Brush the top crust evenly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the surface.
6. Bake. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any drips) and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and continue baking for 30—35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents.
7. Cool before slicing. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. The filling will set as it cools. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 55g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 210mg