Need something to satisfy your sweet tooth? A maple creme pie will very much do the trick! It’s sweet, creamy, and just a little bit boozy.
This recipe does contain alcohol that is not cooked off. Feel free to either omit the alcohol or try another recipe, like homemade vanilla pudding. I do not condone underage drinking. Drink responsibly.
I really tried to follow through with the original recipe.
On Sunday, I asked my followers on Instagram what they wanted for a recipe this week. Which, by the way, you should follow me on Instagram. I’ve been asking my followers what they want to see the last few weeks. So if you want a say in what I make, be sure to follow me!
Anyway, the votes were unanimous for the banana and bourbon pie. Absolutely delicious idea… with one caveat.
I learned I was allergic to bananas.
I mean, I could still breathe. But the more taste testing I tried to do, the more miserable I became. I tried following through. But as much as I wanted to see it through, I wasn’t going to risk my life for a recipe.
And in the age of kids eating laundry detergent pods for views, I hope you can respect that I didn’t push my body physically farther than it could go.
With that, I had to come up with a new recipe. Fortunately, spring is coming and with spring comes New England’s best in-season product– maple syrup.
So we come to today’s recipe: maple creme pie with bourbon caramel sauce.
Maple creme pie is very similar to the original recipe I wanted to do, but totally different at the same time. It’s very sweet, a little labor intensive, but oh so easy and delicious!
I wanted to keep some of the same elements, like the caramel sauce and the creme filling. But the bananas had to go!
I wanted a pie for pi day, on 3/14. (I’m pretty sure I’m going to make pie recipes for this time of year a tradition now!)
I know, I’m a bit early, but I wanted to get you dears prepared for a day that is very special to me that I love to share! I actually had a different creme pie I shared with you dears last year, if you want to check it out. 🙂
And by the way, did you know it took me 13 tries to get the creme filling right??
After trying instant puddings, other people’s recipes, and my own personal recipes, I finally found the right combination.
You think it wouldn’t be this hard, considering I made a different pudding pie last year!
The secret? Good cornstarch.
Apparently I ended up with a garbage box of cornstarch that made my creme filling gritty. Ugh. It took me too long and a frustrating day of making different fillings to realize I needed to get some good cornstarch to make the filling nice and smooth.
And not tapioca starch. Never again. (blegh.)
Also! Since we are sweetening and flavoring with maple syrup, we’re going to have to cook our maple creme pie filling a little bit longer.
There’s more water in maple syrup than sugar crystals (obvi), so be sure to let it cook a bit longer than you normally would to make sure it thickens enough. Don’t worry, it’s factored into the recipe. 🙂
About the bourbon caramel sauce…
For transparency’s sake (and giving the proper credit) I was inspired by both Minimalist Baker and Serious Eats for my caramel sauce recipe. I took suggestions from both and made it into a sauce that is absolutely going to knock your socks off.
As a general rule of cooking with alcohol, don’t cook with anything you wouldn’t drink. You will still taste it in the final product! The first time I made the recipe, I used Wild Turkey (not sponsored) and the recipe was fantastic. I was eating it with a spoon. 😉
The second time I made it, I used Bird Dog maple flavored whiskey. I was hoping that the maple flavor would help the filling shine, but the sauce just didn’t really taste like anything special. In the end, I added more Wild Turkey to the final product to give it a more robust bourbon flavor.
And I mean, I’m not a big bourbon/whiskey drinker myself. You don’t have to use your top shelf goodies for this, nor do you have to buy it. If you’re clueless like me when it comes to bourbons, feel free to ask the packy– erm, I mean– package/liquor store workers what they suggest.
My research showed that Four Roses and Evan Williams were also good middle-of-the-road brands to use, but it’s all in personal preference. Feel free to check out that resource on BlueKitchen.net.
How do you celebrate pi(e) day? Let me know in the comments down below!
Cheers dears!
Gem
Maple Creme Pie with Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Yields: 8 pieces
- 1 9" prepared graham cracker crust
- For Creme Filling:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. sugar (if a sweeter filling is desired)
- For Caramel Sauce:
- 1 1/4 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup light cream
- 1/4 cup bourbon (optional, but highly encouraged)
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- Heavy pinch salt
For the Creme Filling:
In a medium sauce pan, add milk and cornstarch to create a slurry. Whisk until combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to medium heat. Whisk frequently until creme filling becomes thick and begins to bubble, about 5-10 minutes. The more whisking, the better. If the bottom of the pot is slippery when stirred, use a heat-safe rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot into the mixture.
As creme filling begins to bubble, begin to whisk constantly. Cook until very thick, about 5 minutes.
Take off the heat. Allow to cool slightly (5-10 minutes). Whisk occasionally to make sure a film does not form on top. After filling has cooled, add it to your pie crust. Cover directly to the top of the filling. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or completely cooled and set.
For the Caramel Sauce:
While the pie filling is setting, let's make the caramel sauce. in a medium pot, add sugar and water. Make sure to use a pot that is bigger than what you need. Place the pot on medium to medium high heat. Stir the mixture to help dissolve the sugar.
When you see litle bubbles forming at the bottom of your pot, stop stirring completely. Allow the sugar mixture to boil for about 5-10 minutes, or until the sugar becomes a dark amber. If your stove top has a hot spot and heats one spot faster than the others, feel free gently swirl the sugar to prevent burning. Do not stir.
Once you have the dark amber, take your sugar off the heat. Slowly add in your cream, whisking constantly. Rapid boiling and rising of the liquid is normal; this is why we use a bigger pot!
Add in the butter, bourbon, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
Place in a container and allow it to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
When Ready to Serve:
Add sauce to the top of the slices or the the whole pie, if it is all being served out at once. Sauce left on the pie for an extended time will soak into the pie and it won't look as nice. Consume and enjoy the fruits of you labors!
You'll probably have caramel sauce leftover. Feel free to use this on top of ice cream, over french toast, or anything else you would pour sugar syrup on.
- Preparation time: 45 minutes
- Total time: 2 hours 45 minutes
