An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away – Time for a Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Time for a Slice of Salted Caramel Apple Pie

I made the pie throughout the weekend since there are several steps to the pie crust – the key to an amazing pie crust is keeping it chilled throughout (which means it goes into the frig/freezer in between each step…), but the wait is worth it!

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup unsalted butter – cubed and chilled
1/3 cup ice water

For Pie Filling:

1 cup Salted caramel sauce (I use my own homemade version – see recipe)
6 Apples – 2 Granny Smith, 2 Fuji and 2 Honeycrisp – Sliced to 1/8 thick using mandolin
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For Egg Wash:

1 egg – beaten with fork
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions:

Pie Crust Part I:

Put flour, sugar and salt in food processor and pulse to combine.
Add butter to mixture and pulse mixture until coarse crumbs.
Slowly add 1/4 cup chilled water as the mixture is pulsing.
Add more water if necessary for the dough to come together.
Remove dough from processor and cut into two parts.
Wrap each dough part separately with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to three days.

Pie Crust Part II:

Lightly flour table surface and flour a chilled rolling pin – I place mine in the freezer (if you don’t have a rolling pin – use a wine bottle without the label and use the wine bottle as the rolling pin)
Take out one dough from the refrigerator and roll out into at least 13-inch circle (with a chilled rolling pin it is kind of like a great arm work out…)
Transfer dough to 9-inch pie pan.
Gently press the dough throughout on the pie pan to ensure that the surface area is pressed against the pie on the bottom and on the sides.
Any pieces that overhang can be cut off and can be used either to patch up areas that are not covered on the lip of the pan or to be saved and used later on.
Place back into refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the crust to be chilled and firm.

Pie Filling Preparation:

In a large bowl, mix together the apple slices with lemon juice.
Let set for a little bit and then toss again.
Drain out the lemon juice (this is an important step to ensure that you do not end up with too much water in your pie filling).
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg.
Mix together the apple slices and toss together with the sugar mixture.

Assembling Pie:

Take out pie pan with crust from refrigerator.
Place two layers of the apple slices into the pie and ensure that it is completely covered with little to no space between the slices.
Layer on top 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce (I prefer to keep the sauce in the refrigerator so it is more stiff – it makes it harder to spread, but it keeps the pie crust from warming up).
Layer on another two layers of apple slices and repeat with another 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce on top.
Place any remaining apple slices on top.
Now it is time for the next pie crust step.

Pie Crust Part III:

Take out second wrapped dough from refrigerator and place on lightly floured surface.
Use floured rolling pin and roll out to at least 13-inch circle.
Two options for the top of the pie – you can either use cut out shapes with a cutter or a knife or create a lattice-top.
For the lattice-top:
- Use a knife, pastry or pizza wheel to create even strips approximately 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in width. If you do not have a pastry or pizza wheel, a knife is sufficient to make the strips.
- You can use a ruler to help ensure the strips are even.
- After you fill the pie shell with the pie filling – lay out the strips parallel to each other with a space in between – ensure that the strips are long enough to go from one end of the pie to the other.
- Fold back half-way for every other strip that has been laid out on the pie.
- Place one long strip of dough perpendicular to the parallel strips.
- Unfold the strips that have been folded back.
- Now fold back the every other strip that was not folded back the previous time.
- Lay down another strip perpendicular (or next to the first strip that was placed down with space in between the two strips).
- You will start to see the lattice pattern come together.
- Continue to this process until the entire top is completed.
- Trim the edges of the pie.
- At this point you can choose to either use a fork to press down around the edge of the pie or pinch the dough up to create crimps around the edge. For the crimp edges, you may need to use the excess dough that was cut off or use the excess dough from the the base of the pie.
- Place pie in freezer for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Baking the Pie:

Bake pie at 350 degrees.
Once the pie is ready to be baked, brush the top with egg wash.
Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the center rack.
Bake pie for 30 minutes (the edges of the pie should be a golden-brown color) – at this point, remove the pie from the oven and cover the edges of the crust with a pie ring (if you do not have a pie ring, don’t go out and buy one unless you want to – it takes a little bit of patience, but you can use long strips of foil and wrap it around the edge of the pie. It creates a nice challenge and can be difficult since the pan is hot and the crust is still soft, but it is an alternative option to a pie ring).
Continue to bake the pie for another 30-35 minutes, until the top crust is golden-brown.
Let the pie cool completely on wire rack.