This Gin Apple Pie is the stuff dreams are made of!

As the seasons start to change, we have a hankering for comfort food - and gin! So this ginny apple pie ticks all the boxes!

When asked what our favourite dessert is, the answer is always the same: apple pie! Not just any apple pie though, it has to be THIS apple pie! Although there isn’t anything particularly special about this recipe, the streusel topping completely transforms this dessert. It adds an extra crunch and a flavour that you wouldn't get in a traditional apple pie with a pastry top.

Fortunately, apple pie isn't a seasonal dessert so it is something we can enjoy all year round, and there are so many great varieties of apple available to us. For this particular recipe, we find two varieties of apple work well, as believe it or not, the apples bring different flavour to the table. In this bake, we used Gala and Braeburn apples which offer the best flavour at this time of year, and when used in unison, the sweetness of the Gala balances perfectly with the sweet tart flavour and crisp-bite of the Braeburn. These apples also balanced nicely with the Danish Guldborg apples used to give Kongsgaard Gin it’s crisp taste.

Now as I’m sure you will agree, you can't fully appreciate an apple pie without an accompanying scoop of ice cream, and vanilla would normally be my flavour of choice. However, for a slight different taste sensation, why not experiment with liquorice flavouring and to play on the botanicals in your favourite gin. This non-churn recipe is so simple and requires such little effort but the result is delectable.

Although this may sound like a complicated recipe with lots of different elements, it is so easy to knock up and it can be made in advance and will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Trust me when we say, you will not regret it when you have that first spoonful of liquorice ice cream paired with the crunchy streusel topping, crisp apple filling and rich shortcrust pastry. 

To make this dessert, you will need:

Ingredients:

Non-churn Liquorice Ice Cream

150g hard Liquorice
300g Condensed Milk
600ml of Double Cream
8 tbsp of Light Brown Muscovado Sugar
3 tbsp gin

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (You can also use shop bought pastry)

200g Plain Flour
100g Unsalted Butter, chilled and cubed
70g Caster Sugar
3 Free-Range Egg Yolks

Apple Pie Filling

6 large Apples, peeled, cored and cubed
100ml of gin
20ml Lemon Juice
30g Plain Flour
100g Light Brown Sugar
1/4 Tsp of Ground Nutmeg
1 and 1/2 Tsp of Ground Cinnamon
2 Cloves
1 sick of Liquorice Root

Streusel Topping

100g Ginger Thins
100g Light Brown Sugar
100g Plain Flour
80g Butter, melted and slightly cooled

Serves: 8 people

Preparation time: 1 hour

Freezing time: 6 hours

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Directions:

1.     Start by making the ice cream by combining the sugar, 200ml of the cream, liquorice and gin to a pan and set over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until the liquorice has melted. If the mixture begins to thicken before the liquorice has set, add a splash of double cream. Once the liquorice has melted and the mixture is the consistency of treacle, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

2.     While the liquorice mixture is cooling, add rest of the double cream and condensed milk to a free standing mixer and whisk until combined. Once the liquorice mixture has cooled, slowly pour it into the cream while still whisking until soft peaks form.Transfer into an airtight container and freeze for six hours.

3.     To make the pie filling, add the apples, gin, lemon juice, flour, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and liquorice root to a large bowl and stir. Set aside whilst you make the pastry case, allowing the apples to soak up the gin.

4.     To make the pastry case, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until well combined, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Mix in the flour until the mixture comes together as a ball of dough. Tip out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until the dough is smooth. Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

5.     Whilst the dough is chilling, make the streusel topping by crushing up the ginger snap biscuits into a fine crumb. Combine with the sugar and flour and then add the melted and chilled butter. Mix well with a wooden spoon and then set aside.

6.     When you are ready to construct the pie, preheat the oven to 180C.

7.     Once the dough has chilled, remove from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface until the dough is the thickness of a £1 coin. Use a knife to cut out a circle of dough that is about half an inch wider than the bottom of your tart tin. Carefully place the dough in the base of the tin and cut any excess off the top.

8.     Spoon the apple fillingand the majority of the liquid into the crust, removing the cloves and liquorice root. Sprinkle over the crumble topping and then place the pie onto a large baking tray. Loosely cover the pie with foil and then place in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove the tin foil and then bake for a further 5 minutes or until golden brown on top.

9.     Remove the pie from the oven and then allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with a generous scoop of the homemade liquorice ice cream.

Enjoy responsibly!