The Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie
Serves: 3
Irwin Berge
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
57
Spice
45
Sweetness
67
Sourness
48
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.5
Difficulty
Ingredients:
3 cups
All-Purpose Flour1 pinch
Salt1 cup
Unsalted Butter1 cup
Sugar (plus 1/4 cup)3 tbsps
Water1 cup
Heavy Cream1 cup
Red Wine1 tbsp
FlourDirections:
1
Watch how to make this recipe
2
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
3
To make the pastry, combine the flour and salt together in a large bowl
4
Cut in the chunks of cold butter with a pastry blender, a little at a time, until the dough resembles cornmeal
5
Add the egg yolk and the ice water, and blend for a second just to pull the dough together and moisten
6
Be careful not to overwork the dough
7
Form the dough into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour
8
While the dough is resting, prepare the filling
9
To make the caramel sauce: place the sugar and water in a small pot and cook, without stirring, over medium-low heat until the sugar has melted and caramelized, about 10 minutes
10
Remove the pot from the burner and add the cream and wine slowly
11
It may bubble and spit, so be careful
12
When the sauce has calmed down, return it to the flame, add the vanilla bean and heat it slowly, until the wine and caramel are smooth and continue to slowly cook until reduced by half
13
Remove from the heat and cool until thickened
14
Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze in the lemon juice
15
Peel the apples with a paring knife, cut them in half, and remove the core with a melon baller
16
Put the apple halves in the lemon-water (this will keep them from going brown)
17
Toss the apples with the flour and cinnamon
18
Take the dough out of the refrigerator, unwrap the plastic, and cut the ball in half
19
Rewrap and return 1 of the balls to the refrigerator, until ready for the top crust
20
Let the dough rest on the counter for 15 minutes so it will be pliable enough to roll out
21
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle
22
Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin and lay it inside a 10-inch glass pie pan
23
Press the dough into the pan so it fits tightly
24
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
25
Slice a couple of the apples at a time using a mandolin or a very sharp knife
26
The apples need to be thinly sliced so that as the pie bakes, they collapse on top of each other with no air pockets
27
This makes a dense, meaty apple pie
28
Cover the bottom of the pastry with a layer of apples, shingling the slices so there are no gaps
29
Ladle about 2 ounces of the cooled red wine caramel sauce evenly over the apple slices
30
Repeat the layers, until the pie is slightly overfilled and domed on the top; the apples will shrink down as the pie cooks
31
Top the apples with pieces of the butter
32
Now, roll out the other ball of dough just as you did the first
33
Brush the bottom lip of the pie pastry with a little beaten egg white to form a seal
34
Place the pastry circle on top of the pie, and using some kitchen scissors, trim off the overhanging excess from around the pie
35
Crimp the edges of dough together with your fingers to make a tight seal
36
Cut slits in the top of the pie so steam can escape while baking
37
Place the pie on a sheet tray and tent it with a piece of aluminum foil, so the crust does not cook faster than the apples
38
Bake the caramel apple pie for 25 minutes on the middle rack
39
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with the freshly grated cinnamon
40
Remove the foil from the pie and brush the top with the remaining egg white
41
Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar and return to the oven
42
Continue to bake for another 25 minutes, until the pie is golden and bubbling
43
Let the apple pie rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour to allow the fruit pectin to gel and set; otherwise the pie will fall apart when you cut into it