Caramel Apple Pie

My parents’ apple trees were very bountiful this year.  And though we didn’t make it there to help pick apples (those darn Saturday soccer games!), they did send a large bag of apples for us when one of their friends came to town.

We were having friends over, so I decided to whip up a delicious Apple Pie Trio.

I started out with a traditional apple pie.

Then I followed it up with another traditional, only with a crumble topping, instead of a double crust.

For the last one, I wanted to try something new, well newish.  I made up a yummy caramely apple pie (this one is easier than last year’s version, because it uses premade caramel sauce.  Easy = good).

I love my little apple pie trio!  They’re so quintessentially fall and harvest and Thanksgiving.  Wouldn’t they look beautiful on the Thanksgiving table?

Caramel Apple Pie

Crust

1 tsp salt

2 cups all purpose flour

¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

4-6 tbsp cold water

Filling

8 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced

½ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp flour

¼ cup caramel sauce

Details

Excess dough

Food coloring

1 tbsp lowfat milk

1-2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium sized bowl.

Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter pieces into the flour until it forms pea sized crumbles.

Beginning with 4 tablespoons of water, sprinkle the water over the flour and butter mixture and lightly mix until it forms a ball.  Add additional water as necessary.

Split the dough into two equal pieces.  Set one aside and cover with a damp kitchen towel.  Lightly flour a surface and roll the dough into a 12-inch round (this should fit a 9-inch pan).  

Gently fold the dough in half twice (into quarters) and place in the pie plate.  Gently unfold the crust and press onto the sizes of the pan.  Remove any dough that hangs over the edges of the pie plate.

Add a layer of apple slices to cover the bottom crust.  Whisk together the sugar, butter cinnamon, and flour.   Sprinkle the apples with a about a third of the sugar mixture and a third of the caramel sauce.  Add another layer of apples, followed by more sugar and caramel.  Continue alternating apples and sugar until the apples are gone, ending with a layer of sugar and caramel.

Next, roll out the other half of the dough into a large circle.  Carve an apple shape into the center, if desired, then place on top of the pie.  Remove any excess dough.  Fold over the crust and pinch edges tightly.  Crimp the edge with your fingers, if desired.

Divide the excess dough pieces and tint with gel food coloring.  Cut the dough into apple shapes.

Use a new paintbrush to brush milk onto the backs of the apple shapes and place them on the pie. 

Place the pie into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue baking for another 40-50 minutes or until the crust is browned and the filling is cooked and bubbly.  Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a wire rack.  Cool completely before slicing and enjoying.