Caramel Apple Pie

You want to talk about a knock your socks off apple pie? Well this is it! I don't even LIKE apple pie and my heart was giggling as I ate this it was so good.

Around this time of year apple picking starts getting really popular. And lets face it, upstate New York is beautiful in September, so who wouldn't want to spend sometime in a beautiful apple orchard? The leaves are thinking about turning into beautiful falls colors and the cool wind gently lulls you into your favorite sweater.

The sweet apples are baked in a spiced, caramel like sauce which is surrounded in a flaky, buttery crust.

The crust is delicate and sweet in a way that only well made pie crusts can be. And the apples, moist and tender from having cooked in the caramel sauce are wonderful to sink your teeth into. Eating this is like eating Fall itself. Satisfying, delicious, and decedent when served with rich vanilla ice cream, this pie should not disappoint.

Ingredients:

1 pie crust recipe (See below for a two 9" crust recipe. And no, there is no shame in buying pre-made or frozen ones if you want.)
8 cups of apple slices

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1/4 cup water or apple cider

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 475º.
Line pie dish with one crust. Fill with apple slices. Pile them up into a mound as they cook down! Use the additional crust to make a lattice top. If you want to do a full crust covering, make the caramel sauce as indicated below, then place the crust on.

In a small sauce pan, on medium high, mix sugars, corn starch, and water/cider. Once warm, add butter and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add spices and mix thoroughly. Carefully pour mixture over and through the lattice crust, making sure not to spill. With a brush or a clean finger, gently spread the liquid over any missed spots on the crust. If you used a full crust on top, reseve a bit of the caramel to brush over it.

As you can see below the caramel is gently brushed over the top, and my edges are messy as messy can be. I make no effort to make my crust edges look pretty, as I'm going to eat the darn thing as soon as it cools enough to eat. However, if you're into braided edges, cute leaf cutouts, or imprinted patterns, go for it!

Bake at 475º for 15 minutes. Turn oven to 350º  and over loosely with a sheet of foil and bake for an additional 60 minutes or until apples are soft.

Allow to cool before serving. Refrigerate left overs.

Pie Crust:
2 1/2 cup flour
1 cup butter or shortening
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a food processor or with a pastry knife, combined salt, sugar, flour, and butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs or corn meal. Slowly add water, mixing until a soft dough forms. Using hands, remove from bowl, and kneed gently a few times. Divide dough into two equal parts. Roll each part into a ball before rolling flat with a rolling pin.

For an even more excellent pie crust, I recommend this recipe. For a tutorial on how to do a lattice top, check out this website.